Advanced Gulf military command in Kuwait

Yesterday (Tuesday), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa discussed the latest regional developments and the efforts made to enhance security and stability in the region. This came at a time when the defense ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries approved the launch of an advanced command for the unified military command in Kuwait, and the allocation of appropriate forces to it, as part of decisions taken at the meeting of the 23rd session of the Joint Defense Council, which was held in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

In Riyadh, the Saudi Crown Prince and the Bahraini King discussed the historical relations between the two countries, areas of cooperation, and ways to strengthen and develop them. King Hamad bin Isa appreciated the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince in consolidating the relations of the two countries, and the historical, fraternal and honorable stances towards Bahrain and its people at all stages.

For his part, the Saudi Crown Prince affirmed the Kingdom’s keenness to strengthen the close fraternal ties it has with Bahrain in all fields.

On the ground, the “Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen” announced yesterday that Saudi defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militias towards the Riyadh and Southern regions, another “cruise” helicopter towards the capital, and a drone in the eastern region.

A ministerial meeting between Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Group of Four European countries (France, Germany, Italy, and Britain) discussed developments in the Middle East situation, on the sidelines of the “Group of Seven” (G7) meetings.

During their meeting in Paris on Tuesday, the ministers touched on the Houthi militia’s ongoing attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and their repercussions on the security of the region. The meeting discussed diplomatic efforts made to support mediation between the United States and Iran, thus contributing to reducing escalation and containing the current regional crises. The attendees stressed the importance of strengthening international coordination to secure regional sea lanes, ensuring the smooth flow of trade and the continuity of global supply chains. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister, discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sipha joint efforts aimed at achieving peace. The meeting between Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Minister Sibha took place on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) ministerial meeting, hosted by the French capital, Paris. The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and ways to support and develop them in various fields. They also exchanged views on the most prominent regional and international issues of common interest. The two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia and the Council of Ministers of Ukraine regarding mutual exemption from short-stay visas for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports. The meeting was attended by the Saudi Ambassador to France, Dr. Faisal Al-Muffl, and officials from both sides.