US, May 4 -- Gulf leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia this week for a crucial Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting, looking to agree on how to respond to Iranian missile and drone attacks that have hit the region in recent weeks. The talks take place at a tense moment, with fears of a wider military escalation still hanging over the region despite a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

The in-person meeting in Jeddah marks the first time Gulf heads of state have come together since their countries were pulled directly into the fallout of the conflict, which began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The strikes on the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman have hit energy infrastructure...