Manama: UAE and Bahrain have affirmed their full support for the strategy announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the steep list of demands that should be included in a nuclear treaty with Iran to replace the Obama-era deal.
Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said that Pompeo’s stance today on the policy of Iran was “accurate”.
“The tough strategy that he has announced is as a natural consequence of Iran’s behaviour over the years,” Dr Gargash posted to his 770,000 followers on his Twitter account.
“Uniting efforts is the right way for Tehran to understand the absurdity of its incursions and expansionism. The region has long suffered from Iranian rhetoric and action that do not respect sovereignty and the domestic affairs of other countries. Following the nuclear agreement, we witnessed unprecedented Iranian interference and meddling in Arab affairs. It is about time Tehran realised that its previous behaviour is unacceptable.”
In a statement, Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The strategy reflects the determination to confront the danger of Iranian policies that undermine security and stability in the region, overcome the shortcomings of the [earlier] nuclear agreement and prevent the dangers of Iran’s ballistic missile programme.”
Bahrain praised US efforts to strengthen regional and international peace and security as well as its relentless efforts to take all possible measures to prevent the spread of chaos and tension in the region and to solve its crises, it added.
“Bahrain considers itself on the same page with the US in the face of the Iranian threat and in addressing Iran’s attempts to spread violence and terrorism. Bahrain stresses the need for Iran to respond positively to all efforts that aim at achieving peace and resolving conflicts in the region and to make it free of nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction.”
The ministry said Iran should put an immediate end to its support of terrorist militias, adhere to international laws and norms and stop interference in the internal affairs of the states in the region, the ministry added.
Bahrain has always maintained that the agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) on the Iranian nuclear programme in July 2015 did not eliminate all sources of tension in the region.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa has said at several meetings that the deal did not address the real problems since Iran continued to interfere in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries, fuelling unrest and destabilising the region.
Bahrain has regularly expressed frustration that despite hopes that the agreement might contribute to the security and stability of the region, it touched only one of the future problems and ignored the real issue of the present time — Iran’s use of all illegal and illegitimate means to destabilise the security and peace of the region.
Shaikh Khalid has also charged that Iran exploited extremist groups, provided safe haven for fugitives, opened training camps for terrorist groups and smuggled arms and explosives in quantities that were enough to demolish entire cities.
Dr Gargash stressed that the region needed peace and stability.
“Iran’s policies, with their opportunism and sectarianism, have set fire in the region. It is natural for Tehran to find itself in such an impasse. The Pompeo strategy requires wisdom and a change of the Iranian orientations,” he said.
In Riyadh, Saudi daily Okaz hailed the new strict US strategy, saying that it reflected the US readiness to stand with its allies in the region in confronting the Iranian danger.
“The Iranian threats are not confined to the Gulf and Arab countries. If there a possibility, they will target the US and western interests as well,” the daily said in its editorial on Tuesday.
“Iran has no real choice now. Either it bows to avoid sanctions and the possibility of a military action against it or it sticks to its lamentations and allegations about the right to defend itself at the expense of the allies of the US and other countries.”
