Riyadh, March 10, 2022, SPA -- The USA and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states held here yesterday a meeting for joint GCC-US action group specialized in integrated missile defense and action group specialized in sea security. The action groups stressed the long-term defense partnership between the USA and GCC states and renewed joint commitment for the two sides to preserve regional security as part of strategic partnership between GCC and the USA. The USA and GCC states, during the meeting, discussed several threats facing the region with focus on the air and sea fields. Participants reaffirmed what was mentioned in the joint statement of the Gulf-US action group regarding Iran issued in November, 2021, denouncing again Iran’s vandalistic behavior through its mercenaries and the direct use of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and the advanced drones, where Iran used these weapons and supported terrorist organizations and other armed groups to start hundreds of attacks in the region. The USA and GCC states also highlighted the importance of enhancing GCC states’ capabilities to address these threats in a collective way, and prepared a joint vision to deter the most urgent threats in the region, mainly air, missile and marine threats. Meanwhile, the GCC states provided a briefing on their efforts in enhancing joint defense cooperation in coordination with the USA. The USA and GCC states agreed on the importance of developing complementary defense initiatives against air, missile and marine threats and deterring them. --SPA 19:18 LOCAL TIME 16:18 GMT 0018 www.spa.gov.sa/w1703796