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Trump shelves Gulf talks until next year

The White House has once again postponed a Gulf Cooperation Council summit aimed at bringing together the fragmented alliance to counter Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) waits for the start of an event with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2-R) and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders at their summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC17B78F1020

The Donald Trump administration has delayed an October summit to band together Gulf countries against Iran until next year, current and former US officials tell Al-Monitor, a potential blow to efforts to reconcile the six-nation bloc.

Officials say President Trump’s packed travel schedule before November’s midterm elections has forced the administration to postpone the summit, marking the second time this year the United States has nixed a meeting to reunite the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

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