Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and other GCC heads of state and foreign ministers invited

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US President Donald Trump waves before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday (local time). [AP]
US President Donald Trump waves before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday (local time). [AP]

US President Donald Trump is seeking to meet with leaders of six Gulf states in New York next week to discuss his vision for the Middle East after the war with Iran, the online outlet Axios reported Wednesday (local time).

According to multiple sources, Trump plans to meet with heads of state or foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council on Sept. 22 in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, to discuss the next phase of the Iran war and Washington's post-war strategy in the region.

The GCC's six member states are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

The Department of State sent invitations to GCC member states that day, sources said. One source added that the meeting could be expanded to include leaders from other Arab countries beyond the GCC.

The main agenda for the Sept. 22 meeting is expected to center on Washington's vision for the regional order following the Iran war.

Trump and his aides have recently been working to develop a management strategy for Iran and the surrounding region once the war ends, sources said.

The plan is expected to be finalized after the November midterm elections.

Last year, Trump also met with leaders of eight Arab and Muslim-majority nations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, presenting a draft peace proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza.

A week after that meeting, the peace proposal was made public, and an agreement to end the Gaza war followed.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also expressed a desire to meet with Trump during the General Assembly, though no schedule has been confirmed, sources said.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com