US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel urged on Wednesday Gulf Arab states to unite against Iranian threats and extremist groups. Votel said it was “imperative” to “enhance and integrate our capabilities for our mutual national security interests” and “rise above all the other aspects”. "Two of our enduring security threats are present in this region – the destabilizing actions of Iran and violent extremist organizations," said Votel, who heads US forces in the Middle East, at the beginning of a military summit in Kuwait that brought together military leaders of the armies of the Gulf States, Jordan and Egypt. "We are looking for a maritime agreement through the initiative in this regard," he said, adding that the subject will be tackled in the current summit in Kuwait. "Our priority as a US central command is to confront the threats in the region," he said, referring to remarks by US Secretary of State James Mattis, in which he said the dangers in the region have "originated from Iran and extremist terrorist organizations." He also stressed the importance of collective military action, calling for "overcoming any differences so that we can face terrorism." For his part, Kuwait’s Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Khuder called on the GCC nations, Egypt and Jordan to increase cooperation and boost relations to face the security challenges in the region. "Our political leadership hopes that our meeting will contribute to enhancing mutual cooperation and developing mutually beneficial relations to ensure the achievement of common objectives,” Khuder explained. “We hope the first steps of this joint coordination will lead to a desired partnership and defense integration among all parties to develop our military capabilities in the face of current and future challenges,” he stressed. Earlier on Monday, heads of state of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had a meeting, in which they discussed means of enhancing military cooperation and joint defense. The Kuwaiti army said in a statement that Wednesday’s meeting has discussed many issues, including the fight against terrorism and extremism.