Ernst Urges White House to Maintain Bipartisan-Supported Security Cooperation with Middle East Partners

Amid reports that all security cooperation and development with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, and the United States may be cut off as punishment for the recent OPEC+ oil cuts, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), co-chair of the Senate Abraham Accords Caucus and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is urging the White House to continue to convene partners, reinforce security dialogue, and develop defense concepts to counter growing threats, like Iran, and other terror and violent extremists organizations that wish to do the U.S. and our Middle East partners harm.

 In a letter to National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan, Ernst writes: “The United States must continue to convene partners, reinforce security dialogue, and develop defense concepts to counter these growing threats. Security cooperation, diplomatic engagement, commercial development, and cultural exchange between Israel and the Gulf states—bolstered by the historic Abraham Accords—continues to grow. Integrated air and missile defense in the region has been a consistent initiative by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), with bipartisan support … Our roadmap is clear: the United States must continue to engage regional partners to counter common threats.

 “Disrupting this momentum delays partner capacity building, worsens regional security, and aids our adversaries. It also damages trust by conditioning regional security on resolution of broader political and energy disputes, a poor precedent. As the security partner of choice, the United States should reliably implement defense efforts and proceed with the U.S.-GCC integrated air and missile defense working group without delay.”  

 Ernst’s letter to Sullivan comes as the National Security Council is postponing the United States-Gulf Coordination Council Working Group meeting on integrated air and missile defense, previously scheduled for October 17.