US President Donald Trump is expected to meet leaders and foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in New York next Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the war with Iran. The meeting is expected to focus on US plans for the postwar period, three sources with direct knowledge told Axios.The meeting is likely to bring together representatives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman on the sidelines of the UN general assembly.The US state department sent out initial invitations on Wednesday, the report said. The meeting could also be expanded to include other Arab and Muslim leaders.
Why the meeting matters
The Gulf states have been directly affected by the conflict. Countries that host US military bases came under major Iranian attacks during the war.The fighting has also caused significant economic disruption in the region, including losses linked to interruptions in oil and natural gas exports.Trump and his senior team are working on a plan for what happens after the war. According to the report, the postwar strategy is expected to be finalised after the US midterm elections.Trump said on Wednesday that “hopefully we are towards the end of the war.”He also repeated his claim that Iran wants to reach a deal, saying the US had heard this directly from Tehran.
Netanyahu also seeks Trump meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also wants to meet Trump in New York, but no meeting has been scheduled, an Israeli source said.The development comes as Washington continues to consider its approach to the next phase of the conflict and the wider regional consequences of the war.
What happened last year
The planned Gulf meeting also recalls Trump’s diplomacy during last year’s UN General Assembly.At the time, Trump met leaders from eight Arab and Muslim countries and presented them with a draft plan for ending the Gaza war.He made the plan public a week later. A deal to end the war was reached shortly afterwards.The White House has declined to comment on the planned meeting with the Gulf leaders.