US Hopes Defense Talks in Riyadh Boost Regional Missile Shield Plans
The United States aims to advance its long-standing goal of creating a regional missile shield through defense meetings in Riyadh, US officials said. This initiative is bolstered by Israel’s successful defense against Iranian missiles and drones last month. However, there is uncertainty about whether Gulf allies share the same confidence in US support and their willingness to integrate their defenses.
The May 22 meeting between the US and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) follows successful interceptions of missiles and drones by US, British, and Israeli defenses, highlighting the potential of a unified defense system. A senior US defense official emphasized that the success was due to the integration of defense systems among the involved countries.
Dana Stroul, former Pentagon Middle East policy adviser, noted that Gulf countries need to make a political decision about regional intelligence sharing and secure communications. However, there are lingering doubts about America’s commitment to defending its partners beyond Israel. Stroul stressed that the US should assure these allies of equivalent support if Iran directly attacks them.
The US delegation to the meeting will include officials from various military commands and agencies, while all GCC members—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—will send delegations. Israel will not participate in this meeting.
Stroul also pointed out the challenges posed by the Gulf allies’ purchases of military systems from diverse vendors, which complicates integration with US equipment. The US hopes the GCC members will see the value of integrated missile defense and move past their mistrust.
