Iran In Focus As US Delegation Arrives In Saudi Arabia For GCC Talks

A senior US delegation is in Saudi Arabia for meetings of the US-Gulf Cooperation Council Working Group.

• The delegation, led by US Special Envoy to Iran Rob Malley, will focus on “Integrated Air and Missile Defense and Maritime Security, Iran, and Counterterrorism.”
• State Department: “These meetings demonstrate the United States’ and GCC members shared commitment to advancing regional security and stability through cooperation across a range of issues.”
• Malley led the US delegation at the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear talks which collapsed last year. Recently, IAEA Chief Raphael Grossi warned of Iran's rapidly progressing nuclear programme and floated the idea of a stopgap agreement to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.
• Saudi Arabia and UAE, who have generally opposed the JCPOA - believing that increased revenues from the deal would bolster Iran's ability to destabilise the region - may be more open to revised accord with greater input from Arab states.
• Arab News: "GCC negotiators could bring plenty of what any other participant could... They could help advance the talks by providing the prospect of normalizing Iran’s relations with the region and integrating its economy with those of its neighbors."