The Defense Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries approved, on Tuesday, 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 23rd session of the Joint Defense Council in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in Manama, headed by Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Nuaimi, Minister of Defense Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain - Chairman of the current session -, and with the participation of the Defense Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The decision came during a ministerial meeting of the defense ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which was held in the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Tuesday, headed by the Bahraini Minister of Defense Affairs, Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Hassan Al-Nuaimi, and with the participation of the defense ministers of the six countries.
A Gulf security necessity
Analysts and observers who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat see the importance of the step towards strengthening joint Gulf security.
Political researcher Dr. Ayed Al-Manna says that the announcement represents a necessary and necessary step at the same time. To ensure collective Gulf security, through the presence of forces that protect the GCC states, away from any disputes or discrepancies between them.
Al-Manna said that the Iranian attacks on the GCC countries, despite the fact that the GCC countries did not carry out any provocative action, drew attention to the necessity of complete and permanent preparation to deter any external aggression, especially since the Gulf region faces threats from multiple forces, most notably the Iranian axis in the region, including the militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the military capabilities that these parties possess. He added that the threats are not limited to this axis, pointing to the Israeli threat and what is being raised about the project. “Greater Israel.”
He promised that the lack of stability in a number of countries in the region, and what he described as ambitions in the Gulf region, make it necessary to enhance military preparedness and activate the unified Gulf force, pointing out that this step should have been taken a long time ago, in a way that enhances the security of all the GCC countries. He went on to stress the importance of providing the Gulf forces with the necessary military elements and capabilities that qualify them to repel any external aggression and respond to it, in a way that achieves the collective security requirements of the GCC countries.
Strengthening the structure of joint military action
For his part, former Saudi officer Abdul Latif Al-Mulhim believes that the decision to launch an advanced command for the unified military command in Kuwait, and allocate appropriate forces to it, represents an important step in the path of developing joint Gulf military action, especially in light of the security and military developments taking place in the region, and the necessity of strengthening coordination and readiness between the armed forces of the GCC countries.
Al-Mulhim explained that the importance of the decision from a military perspective lies in the GCC countries strengthening the organizational structure of joint military action, through the presence of advanced leadership within the framework of the unified military command. This could contribute to developing coordination between Gulf forces and supporting their ability to deal with common challenges and threats.
He added that approving the allocation of appropriate forces to this command gives the decision a practical dimension that goes beyond the organizational aspect, and reflects a trend towards supporting the joint Gulf defense system with the necessary human and military capabilities, provided that the nature of this role is determined according to the tasks and arrangements that will be adopted for this command.
Al-Mulhim pointed out that the importance of this step is increasing at a time when the Gulf countries are facing escalating security and military challenges, which reinforces the need to continue developing joint defense work, raising the level of coordination and readiness, and maintaining the readiness of the armed forces to deal with various circumstances and potential threats.
It is expected that Saudi Arabia will host the next meeting of the Joint Defense Council, as Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi Minister of Defense, expressed during his speech at the meeting his welcome to the defense ministers of the Council countries in their second country, Saudi Arabia, during its hosting of joint Gulf military action meetings at all levels in the next session.
