Blinken promotes Gulf Arab defence in sign to Israel and Iran
The Hindu
US Secretary of State Blinken urges Gulf Arabs to integrate defense against Iran, promoting peace and stability in the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Monday for tighter defence integration among Gulf Arabs in response to Iran, part of efforts to encourage moderation by Israel by dangling the prospect of better ties with the region.
Mr. Blinken was starting his seventh visit to West Asia since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, which has responded with a relentless military campaign in the Gaza Strip that has brought growing public pressure for a ceasefire.
It is Mr. Blinken's first trip to the region since the long shadow war between Israel and Iran broke out into the open, which included the Islamic republic firing missiles and armed drones at military sites in Israel.
"This attack highlights the acute and growing threat from Iran but also the imperative that we work together on integrated defence," Mr. Blinken told Gulf Cooperation Council ministers meeting in Riyadh.
Mr. Blinken said the United States would hold talks in the coming weeks with the six-nation bloc on integrating air and missile defence and boosting maritime security.
The United States already has strong military relations with all the Gulf Arab states, but relations among the six have seen their ups and downs.
Mr. Blinken said that the region had a choice on its future, including "one ridden with divisions and destruction and violence and permanent instability".