Bangladesh, Dec. 8 -- The final communique of the 46th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, held in Bahrains capital Manama on December 3, stands as one of the most consequential political documents the bloc has released in years. Far from a ceremonial statement, it reflects a profound transformation in how Gulf capitals understand the rapidly shifting strategic environment of the Middle East – an environment reshaped by the events that began with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, and further complicated by the unprecedented Israeli-Iranian confrontation in 2024.

What makes the Manama communique distinct is not merely its strong wording, but the structural shift it signals in Gulf security thinking. For the first time i...