A ‘Middle East NATO’? Why Iran is closely watching Biden’s regional journey #Middle #East #NATO #Iran #closely #watching #Bidens #regional #travel OLASMEDIA TV NEWSThis is what we have for you today:
Last month, US lawmakers introduced legislation to create an integrated air defense system to increase cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors, including the countries whose leaders Biden will meet in Saudi Arabia this week. The defense system is designed to protect those states from Iran.
Jordanian King Abdullah, who will meet Biden in Saudi Arabia, said this month that he prefers to join a “Middle East NATO” with like-minded countries, without specifying which ones. Iran sees an Arab-Israeli military plan as a provocative move and a threat to national security, State Department spokesman Nasser Kanani said Saturday through state news agency IRNA. According to IRNA, he accused the US of spreading “Iranophobia” among regional countries.
The United Arab Emirates, which has entered into direct talks with Tehran, said Friday it has no interest in joining an anti-Iran alliance.
“We are open to cooperation, but not to cooperation aimed at any other country in the region, and I am specifically mentioning Iran,” Anwar Gargash, adviser to the president of the UAE, told CNN’s Becky Anderson. The UAE is in the process of sending an ambassador to Tehran, he added.
Some analysts say that if Iran finds it being packed together by its neighbors, it could retaliate.
An Arab-Israeli military alliance is “a terrible idea,” said Trita Parsi, vice president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC, “because it reinforces existing divisions in the region and reduces the likelihood of diplomatic breakthroughs.” Such groups are aimed at organizing the region against a particular state rather than achieving “true peace,” Parsi told CNN.
Past US attempts to isolate Iran at Israel’s behest led Tehran to sabotage the Palestinian-Israeli peace process to undermine Washington’s efforts, he said. “If Biden’s anti-Iran alliance really gains a foothold, it could push Iran back to its policies of the 1990s, when it actively urged its allies to destabilize parts of the region,” he added. up.
On Thursday, Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a new joint statement pledging never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and to address Iran’s “destabilizing activities”.
“There is potential that” [Biden’s] visit could cause further tensions,” Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told CNN.
That prospect has not gone unnoticed by the Arab Gulf states, who are wary of falling into the firing line between Iran and the US.
Gargash told CNN there is a need for de-escalation with Iran. “We have to find solutions and we also have to use economic cooperation in different areas,” he said.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political science professor in the UAE, told CNN that establishing a potential military alliance as regional NATO is “very provocative, and I don’t think it’s acceptable for anyone asked to join.”
While there is regional consensus that Iran is now destabilizing more than ever, Israel and the Arab Gulf states differ on how to tackle the problem, he told CNN.
“The mood in Abu Dhabi and in Riyadh is to talk to Iran rather than provoke Iran,” he said. “This is where the Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, differ from Israel.” The US’s claim this week that Iran may… deliver drones to Russia may be used by the Biden administration to strengthen the case for a Middle East defense pact against Iran, said: Aniseh Bassiric, senior research fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). “The timing of this information [on Iranian drone sales] is interesting,” she told CNN’s Becky Anderson on Tuesday. “We know that the US, along with Israel, is trying to shape this defense pact, and I think a big part of the focus of this pact is the capability the countries have when it comes to drones. Whether there is interest in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries is another question,” she said.
“There is enough Israeli propaganda being used to market and promote such a deal,” Abdulla said. “Logistics is not that easy to do.”
the summary
Majority of Saudi youth see Palestinian cause as a priority, study shows
According to the 13th edition of the Arab Youth Survey, three quarters of Saudi youth believe that tackling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should be a priority for the Arab world. The survey also found that more than 90% of Saudi youth, who make up nearly two-thirds of the country’s population, see the US as an ally.
- Background: The findings were released Thursday ahead of Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia. The investigation comes amid tense ties between the US and Saudi Arabia and an attempt by the Biden administration to strengthen relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
- Why it matters: The survey shows the importance Saudi youth attach to the Palestinian issue as Riyadh moves closer to Israel. It also suggests that despite tensions between the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia, Saudi youth continue to see the US as an ally.
Netanyahu Says Biden Agrees Military Strike Will Be Necessary If Iran Develops Nuclear Weapons
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Thursday that President Biden agrees that a military strike on Iran will be necessary if Tehran develops nuclear weapons. “I told him that without a credible military option, Iran cannot be stopped, and if Iran is not deterred, this military option will have to be implemented. This is my position. I really hope it’s the US position too,” Netanyahu said. “He [Biden] said he agreed with those words, and I was happy to hear that,” he added.
- Background: Netanyahu’s claim comes as he tries to make a comeback as prime minister amid political deadlock in Israel. During his trip to Jerusalem, Biden renewed his pledge to defend Israel against Iran. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News on Wednesday, the president was asked whether his commitment to ensure Iran never acquires nuclear weapons meant that he would use force against Iran. “If that was the last resort, yes,” Biden replied.
- Why it matters: Israel praised a US-led “regional air defense alliance” that would primarily aim to thwart Iranian drones and missiles. Biden has defended his trip to the Middle East, saying regional allies are needed as Iran advances in its nuclear program.
White House Confirms Biden Will Meet MBS Without Saudi King Present
The White House confirmed for the first time on Friday that Biden will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – known as MBS – without his father, King Salman, being present while the US president is in Jeddah.
- Background: According to Biden’s schedule, the Saudi king will be present for only about 30 minutes during Friday night’s bilateral meetings. This is the first time the White House has admitted this publicly. Biden and the crown prince will continue their meeting after the king has left.
- Why it matters: The meeting would mark a reversal of Biden’s previous attempt to avoid MBS. The White House said early in Biden’s presidency that the president’s interaction with the Saudi leadership would be “counterpart counterpart.”
what to watch
Lina Au Akleh, the niece of murdered Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, told CNN’s Becky Anderson how her family feels about Biden’s regional tour as he continues to grieve.
“This is where Shireen was born…and she was killed here,” Abu Akleh said. “So it was very important for us to be able to sit with the president himself, to hear our demands.”
Watch the interview here:
Around the region
Defying the state-imposed veil of their country, some Iranian women say they want to let their hair down and dress freely.
Social media platforms this week have seen a barrage of posts showing Iranian women inside and outside the country publicly taking off their head coverings in violation of the Islamic Republic’s strict morality laws.
Beginning with an activist campaign against Iran’s “National Day of Hijab and Chastity,” which is celebrated by the Persian Gulf state every July 12 to promote the veil, calls to abolish headgear have spread through social media.
More than 120 human rights activists signed a statement denouncing Chastity Day and saying the commemoration is an excuse to “mark the oppression of Iranian women,” the report said. IranWire news site.
Women in Iran are required to cover their hair with a veil and wear loose-fitting clothing to hide their body shapes.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency released photos of women gathering on the streets of Tehran on Wednesday, celebrate chastity day entirely according to the rules.
By Nadeen Ebrahim