At their latest meeting in Bahrain, the defense ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states approved the establishment of an advanced command for the Unified Military Command in Kuwait.
This is an excellent step taken at a crucial time. There is no need to dwell at length on the importance of joint Gulf defense cooperation, nor on the difficult circumstances facing regional security and what the days ahead may bring.
The people of the Arabian Peninsula and the wider Arab world did not choose the Iranian regime, elect the American president or determine the composition of the Israeli government. Yet all these decisions affect their lives, bringing either danger or hope to our countries. The responsibility, therefore, is to take charge of our collective security.
This was, after all, one of the principal reasons the GCC was established more than four decades ago, alongside other objectives related to development, economic growth and strengthening the spirit of unity. But none of these goals can be achieved without ensuring security and building collective strength.
Speaking about the defense ministers' meeting in Bahrain, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said the gathering reaffirmed the commitment to "continued coordination, cooperation and integration among our countries, helping to strengthen our military and defense capabilities to confront all challenges."
In the same context, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi declared: "The security of our countries is a shared Gulf responsibility. Combining our military efforts strengthens our ability to protect our territories and resources and safeguard the security of our citizens and residents."
He also stressed that "the security of Saudi Arabia is an indivisible part of the security of all GCC states."
Meanwhile, following a meeting of GCC interior ministers, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif emphasized that "the security of GCC states is indivisible," underscoring the importance of strengthening the joint Gulf security framework through concrete action plans to confront challenges and protect member states and their resources.
These are self-evident truths to anyone with sound judgment and foresight. Recent events have demonstrated as much.
The missiles, drones, militias and cyber spies linked to the Iranian regime have spared no Gulf state, including Oman and Qatar. Nor can we overlook the aggression carried out by Iran's proxies in Yemen against Saudi Arabia and its people.
We know the role played in Yemen by experts from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as the involvement of the Iraqi Khomeinist faction.
As the poet said:
May God reward adversity with every blessing,
For through it I learned to tell my enemy from my friend.
We say this, as does everyone who cares about the security, safety and strength of the Arab Gulf states: This is a time for rapprochement, cooperation and solidarity.
The solid foundation of that unity must come, first and foremost, from within the Gulf's own deeply rooted tree. And there is nothing wrong with extending its branches of cooperation to those beyond the shelter of its generous shade.
