Gulf demands to participate in new Iran nuclear deal

Eslam Mohamed

After the Iranian nuclear agreement with 5+1 group in 2015 proved that it failed miserably in curbing Iranian terrorism and even had negative effects that reflected on the security of the countries in the Middle East region, there have been renewed Gulf demands for the necessity of participating in any new agreement in a way that ensures that the interests of Arab countries are taken into consideration.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud renewed this call during his speech to CNBC, saying that his country believes that it should be part of any possible negotiations between the next US administration and Iran regarding a new nuclear agreement, which would be a major historical step.

The minister added that Riyadh is seeking to enter into a partnership with the US administration on a possible new agreement, which would not only restrict Iranian nuclear activities, but also seek to address its “malign regional activity.”

Countering militias

Bin Farhan pointed out that such an agreement could go further, saying that the new deal could also seek to address “Iran’s arming of militias, whether the Houthis in Yemen or certain groups in Iraq, Syria or Lebanon, and even beyond.”

“Of course, its ballistic missile and other weapons programs, which it continues to use to spread chaos throughout the region,” would also be included in any agreement, he added.

CNBC contacted Iranian officials to respond to Bin Farhan’s comments but has not yet received a response.

The Saudi foreign minister affirmed the long-term partnership that binds his country with the United States, adding that he will work with any administration.

Nevertheless, the House of Saud reiterated that in the event that the next president desires to re-engage with Iran, Saudi Arabia must be a “partner in those discussions.”

“The problem with Iran is the fact that it still believes in imposing its will in the region to export its revolution to its neighbors and outside, and we need to address that,” Bin Farhan stated.

It is worth noting that the original agreement was signed by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), in addition to Germany. Outgoing US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear agreement in 2018, describing it as “the worst deal in history.”

Since then, the Trump administration has imposed crushing sanctions on Iran, which it called a “maximum pressure campaign.” The other signatories to the 2015 agreement have committed themselves to the agreement, but there is talk of the possibility of renegotiating an agreement that puts more pressure on Iran over its missile programs and other regional issues.

In the same context, the Saudi envoy to the United Nations said on Sunday that the administration of US President-elect Joe Biden should sign a new nuclear agreement with Iran.

“The Biden administration will understand that a new agreement must be signed with Iran, and that the current agreement is dead,” the Saudi envoy explained.

Meanwhile, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed called for regional countries to participate in the nuclear agreement with Iran “to ensure its success,” adding that a stable and successful agreement in any region must be keen to include the countries of the region and their issues.