The Gulf Cooperation Council approved a new military command post in Kuwait and an allocation of forces to it. The decision extends an existing joint command whose main headquarters is in Riyadh. It follows attacks on Gulf countries, while the post’s precise location, troop numbers and opening schedule remain undisclosed.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a bloc of six Gulf states, approved a forward military command post in Kuwait on 10 November and agreed to allocate forces. The new facility will sit within the bloc’s Unified Military Command. Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi announced the agreement following a meeting of defence ministers.[1], [2]
Defence ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates attended the Joint Defence Council meeting. The Unified Military Command was created in 2013 to organise joint operations and collective defence; its main headquarters opened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2021. The bloc also has its older Peninsula Shield joint force.[1]
The precise site in Kuwait, troop numbers, types of forces and implementation timetable were not disclosed. The decision approves a headquarters and force allocation, without announcing that units have arrived at the post.[1]
The agreement follows missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries after the United States and Israel began their war on Iran. The council also condemned attacks by Yemen’s Houthi armed movement on Saudi Arabia. Albert Vidal of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said the new post did not itself indicate a move away from existing US partnerships.[1]
