GCC Joint Defense Council Issues Statement

GCC Joint Defense Council Issues Statement  
   Doha, September 18, 2025, SPA -- In implementation of the directives of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the GCC Joint Defense Council held an urgent meeting Monday in Doha, preceded by a meeting of the Supreme Military Committee, to assess the defense situation of the GCC states and the sources of threat in light of the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar and to direct the Unified Military Command to take the necessary executive measures to activate joint defense mechanisms and Gulf deterrence capabilities.
   The meeting was chaired by State of Qatar Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State for Defense Affairs, and president of the extraordinary session of the Joint Defense Council Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani.
   It was attended by the GCC ministers of defense, including United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Defense Affairs Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Fadhel Al Mazrouei, Kingdom of Bahrain Minister of Defense Affairs Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Nuaimi, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vice Minister of Defense Prince Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf, Sultanate of Oman Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defense Dr. Mohammed bin Nasser bin Ali Al Zaabi, State of Kuwait Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al Abdullah Al Sabah, and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi.
   According to a news release issued by the GCC Secretariat-General, the members of the Joint Defense Council discussed issues and topics related to the Israeli aggression and the blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State of Qatar, threatening its security and stability. The council condemned in the strongest terms the dangerous military attack, stressing that the aggressive act represents a dangerous and unacceptable escalation and a grave violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
   The council affirmed that the attack on the State of Qatar is an attack on all GCC states, and that it supports them in all measures they take to confront such aggression to preserve their security and defend their unity and territorial integrity. The council underscored that the attack poses a direct threat to the security and stability of the entire region and an infringement on the diplomatic and mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and detainees.
   The Joint Defense Council further emphasized that the security of the GCC states is indivisible, in accordance with the provisions of the Joint Defense Agreement. In this regard, the council decided to increase the exchange of intelligence information through the Unified Military Command, work to transmit the air situation to all operation centers in the GCC states, accelerate the work of the Gulf Joint Task Force for the Early Warning System against Ballistic Missiles, update joint defense plans in coordination between the Unified Military Command and the Operation and Training Committee of the GCC countries, and conduct joint exercises between air operation centers and air defense forces over the next three months, to be followed by an actual joint air exercise.
   The news release added that the Joint Defense Council agreed to continue work, coordination, and consultation at all military and intelligence levels to enhance Gulf defense integration further and work to intensify and link defense systems to confront all risks and challenges, ensuring the security, stability, and safety of all GCC countries, and confronting any potential threats or attacks that threaten the stability of the region.
   -- SPA