Disappointed With US, Israel & Neighbours Taking Security Matters Into Their Own Hands, Analyst Says
05:58 GMT 27.03.2022 (Updated: 17:25 GMT 15.01.2023)
© AFP 2023 / MENAHEM KAHANA
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The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Israel have been exceptionally concerned with the concessions Washington seems to be making to Iran in terms of its nuclear programme.
They have been wary of the potential lifting of sanctions from the Islamic Republic, and have been displeased with the looming removal of its Revolutionary Guard Corps from the US list of terror organisations.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has already arrived in Israel to take part in a historic two-day summit. The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, and Morocco are expected in the country later today.
Burning Issues
A source in the Gulf familiar with the matter told Sputnik that the summit will focus on a number of regional issues.
One of them is Syria and the readmission of the country into the fold of Arab states.
Others are the war in Ukraine and the bolstering of military cooperation between Israel and other participants of the summit.
Yet, the source reiterated that the most important issues to be addressed are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran's nuclear programme.
Not Committed to Security
Recent reports have suggested that Tehran is close to inking a deal regarding its nuclear progremme with the US and other Western powers. According to that agreement, if it comes to fruition, Iran would commit to stall its nuclear ambitions in exchange for Washington lifting most of its sanctions.
The Islamic Republic is also demanding that the White House remove Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian military, from the list of terror organisations, a move that Washington is seriously considering.
Tamam Busafi, a Manama-based political analyst, says that this development has leaders in Israel, Egypt, Morocco, and the Gulf worried.
"It seems that the US is no longer committed to arranging the security of the region. Washington has decided to negotiate with Iran and make concessions without taking into consideration our concerns. In the past, they removed Yemen's Houthi rebels from the list of terror organisations. Now they are considering to do the same with the Revolutionary Guard. This is a serious problem".
In this Sept. 21, 2016 file photo, Iran's Revolutionary Guard troops march in a military parade marking the 36th anniversary of Iraq's 1980 invasion of Iran, in front of the shrine of late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, just outside Tehran, Iran.
© AP Photo / Ebrahim Noroozi
Iran has been challenging Israel, Egypt, Morocco, and the Gulf for years.
Aside from working on its nuclear programme - which many in the region believe will be directed against Israel and the Gulf - Iran has also funded a number of its allies, such as Lebanon's Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have staged multiple attacks against Saudi and Emirati targets.
It is believed that Tehran has been actively stirring up anti-government sentiments in Bahrain and that it is working on triggering unrest in Western Sahara over which Morocco claims ownership.
Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands
It is for these reasons, says Busafi, that regional leaders are meeting in Israel to show that they are forming a joint front and that they no longer rely on America to provide them with security.
"It is clear that there is huge dissatisfaction with the way the US is handling the Iranian file. Their pathetic decisions have led regional leaders to the realisation that it was time to take matters into their own hands and provide for our own security", says the analyst.
Israel and its neighbours have already taken a number of steps in that direction. The Jewish state and Egypt have boosted security cooperation. The country's top military brass have visited the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco to coordinate actions, deals have been signed, and equipment has been delivered.
The source in the Gulf suggests that these developments are a cause for concern in Washington, especially as the US has played a pivotal role in the establishment of ties between Israel and the four Muslim states whose ministers will be present at the summit. And this is why, they insist on Blinken's arrival so that "things don't get out of hand".
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