GCC Members Agree to Station Forces at New Military Command Post in Kuwait

The update

The six Gulf Cooperation Council members agreed on Tuesday to set up a military command post in Kuwait and station forces there, Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said. The decision followed the 23rd meeting of the bloc’s Joint Defence Council in Manama, attended by defence ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Hindu, reporting Reuters, described the site as an advanced headquarters for the GCC’s Unified Military Command, with appropriate forces to be deployed. No opening date, troop numbers or duties were reported.

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Why it matters

The Unified Military Command was set up in 2013 to plan joint operations, with its main headquarters opening in Riyadh in 2021. Kuwait borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia and faces Iran across the Gulf. Both sources place the move amid repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks on Gulf states since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28, and Euronews reported Houthi attacks aimed at Saudi Arabia hours before the meeting.

What to watch

Watch for an opening date, how many personnel each state contributes and what forces are deployed. Any response from Iran, and further GCC defence meetings, will show how the post changes joint operations.

Sources

• euronews.com — confirms the agreement, the Manama meeting and Albudaiwi’s announcement
• thehindu.com — confirms the approved headquarters, the forces deployment and the command’s 2013 origins

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