Conflict coverage · Iran–Gulf

The Gulf Cooperation Council is founded

25 May 1981Key event

PoliticalDiplomatic

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates establish the Gulf Cooperation Council, two years after the Iranian revolution and eight months into the Iran–Iraq war.

Why it mattersThe institution the Gulf states built for exactly the circumstances of 2026 was created in response to the last time those circumstances arose. Its Joint Defence Agreement, and the question of whether it has produced collective capability, is the through-line from this event to the present.

Confidence: HighSources: Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat ↗ · Established historical recordMethodology Corrections

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Gulf Cooperation Council

Where this fits

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