Trump Meets 6 GCC Leaders as Iran War Nears 7 Months
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 22
Trump Meets 6 GCC Leaders as Iran War Nears 7 Months
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 22
Summary
Six Gulf leaders are due to see Donald Trump in New York on Tuesday, with the UNGA sidelines meeting centered on his looming “big decision” over the Iran war.
Nearly seven months of fighting have left the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, disrupted Gulf oil and gas exports and deepened pressure on Trump to avoid another price-spiking military escalation.
GCC states are expected to press for de-escalation and a return to talks after a June memorandum collapsed, while also seeking relief on navigation through Hormuz and the Red Sea.
Their priorities still diverge: Qatar wants to protect LNG shipments, the UAE can reroute some exports via Fujairah, and Saudi Arabia is lobbying harder for US action against Yemen’s Houthis.
The talks are not expected to yield a breakthrough, though officials and analysts see a possible path back to negotiations that could be brokered by Qatar or Pakistan.