Saudi Foreign Minister Arrives in Doha for Emergency GCC Meeting on Iran-US Tensions

Doha—24June 2025 : Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, arrived in Doha on Tuesday to attend an emergency meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers amid rising regional tensions following Iran’s missile strike on US military installations in Qatar.

The visit was reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), which said the high-level talks were urgently convened to assess the security implications of the Iranian attack and explore collective Gulf responses to the escalation.

Upon arrival at Hamad International Airport, Prince Faisal was received by Qatari Minister of State Sultan Al-Muraikhi, Saudi Ambassador to Qatar Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Farhan, and GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi.

The emergency session comes just a day after Iran launched a missile barrage on the US-run Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar—one of Washington’s most strategic military outposts in the region. Tehran described the strike as a legitimate act of self-defense, following what it claims was a joint US-Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities.

While Iran has emphasized that the operation was not intended as an attack on Qatar, the unprecedented incident has triggered alarm across Gulf capitals, raising fears of a wider conflict engulfing the region.

According to SPA, Tuesday’s GCC meeting will focus on evaluating the regional fallout from the incident and determining a unified Gulf stance on how to contain further escalation.

“The foreign ministers will discuss the serious consequences of the Iranian missile strike for regional security, and ways to safeguard stability in the Gulf,” the report noted.

The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman—all key stakeholders in the region’s political and security architecture.

This emergency meeting highlights the growing concerns among Gulf states about becoming entangled in the intensifying confrontation between Iran and the US, particularly considering the US’s strategic military presence across several Gulf territories.