 Arabs
are warning that the Biden administration's appeasement of the
extremist and terrorist regime in Tehran would allow Iran's proxy
militias to continue their attacks on America's Arab allies and
massively destabilize the Middle East. (Image source: iStock) |
As the world's attention is focused on the Russia-Ukraine war, the
Arabs are continuing to express fear about the possibility that the
Biden administration and the world powers will revive the 2015 nuclear
deal with Iran.
The Arabs are warning that the appeasement of the extremist and
terrorist regime in Tehran would allow Iran's proxy militias to continue
their attacks on America's Arab allies and massively destabilize the
Middle East. Dr. Ibrahim al-Nahhas, a prominent Saudi political analyst
and academic, wrote on February 23:
"The parties of the international community that are
negotiating with Iran, especially the P5+1 (the US and the other
permanent members of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia,
Britain, and Germany), must realize that the extremist Iranian regime
has not, and will not, abide by international laws, regulations and
agreements, even if it swore and signed or pledged to abide by and
implement them... The Iranian regime was founded on the [former supreme
leader of Iran Ayatollah] Khomeini ideology that adopts terrorism and
believes in exporting chaos and destruction."
Nahhas cautions that if Iran obtains a nuclear agreement that
prioritizes economic, commercial and investment interests at the expense
of the security interests of the Arab countries, "the destructive
capabilities and extremism of the Khomeini ideology that exported
terrorism, chaos, havoc and destruction to the countries of the region
will be enhanced."
The Khomeini ideology, Nahhas pointed out, has already brought
destruction to Arab countries, including Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria.
Those who signed the 2015 nuclear deal made "major mistakes," the Saudi political analyst argued.
"They agreed to sit with a regime that explicitly
declares its support and sponsorship of terrorism and extremism; they
agreed to enter into secret talks [with Iran] without the knowledge of
the countries that are negatively affected by the terrorism and
extremism of the Iranian regime; and they signed an agreement that did
not take into account the interests and concerns of the countries and
peoples of the region."
By reaching that deal with Iran, Nahhas added,
the US and the other world powers "implicitly accepted extremist
political regimes and terrorist and destructive practices. They also
accepted Iranian intervention in the internal affairs of other
countries, the development of destructive weapons, and acquiring nuclear
technology for military purposes."
Nahhas said that he believes that the talks in Vienna between Iran
and the US and the world powers will lead to a deal that is worse than
the previous agreement.
"The P5+1 group is once again moving towards rewarding
the extremist Iranian regime for its terrorist and destructive policies,
practices and behavior... This group works without realizing the direct
harm to global security, peace and stability. This group needs to take
into account the great danger that the extremist Iranian regime poses to
global security, peace and stability. It needs to be aware of the great
suffering caused by the Iranian regime's terrorism and extremism. It is
necessary for this group to listen to the fears and concerns of the
countries of the region about the continuation of Iran's nuclear program
and to actually learn about the suffering of the peoples affected by
the terrorism and extremism of the Iranian regime. The ambitions and
policies of the extremist Iranian regime will cause further
destabilization of security, peace and global stability if it is given
more privileges in the nuclear and armaments fields. If the group does
not acknowledge these facts, it will notice them when Iranian terrorism
and extremism reach the countries (that are currently negotiating with
Iran). The [Iranian] terrorism and extremism, however, will be more
violent and destructive, given the nuclear and armaments benefits it
will obtain from a new agreement.
Alarmed by reports of an imminent deal with Iran, Syrian political
analyst and commentator Rami Al-Khalifa Al-Ali asserted on February 23
that the world will be less safe after the signing of a new nuclear
accord with the mullahs in Tehran. Al-Ali wrote:
"Although the Biden administration pledged upon its
arrival at the White House that it would not be a third term for former
President Barack Obama, it is following him step by step... This is
evident in the Biden administration's position on the Iranian nuclear
issue. This position seems to be weak, hesitant and subject to Iranian
blackmail."
Al-Ali pointed out that the Arabs have repeatedly called to make the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
"But is the nuclear agreement pushing the region a step
in this direction? The answer is no. On the contrary, the new agreement
will increase tension and push for an arms race and perhaps a race
towards possessing nuclear technology. In the end, the countries of the
region will not accept being hostage to Iranian nuclear technology."
The Syrian analyst said that according to various leaks, the emerging
agreement with Iran does not address the "negative points" of the 2015
agreement that prompted then US President Donald Trump to withdraw from
deal in 2018.
"The duration of the agreement is still a negative point," Al-Ali
pointed out. "The question is, what will happen after the end of this
period? Will Iran be free to reach the nuclear bomb?"
The most dangerous point, he warned,
is that the US administration "has ignored other issues in which Iran
poses a threat to the region, including the ballistic missile program."
"This program is dangerous in two respects. The first is
the ability of Iranian missiles to carry nuclear warheads, and therefore
ballistic missiles are part of the nuclear program, and there is no
sense in any arrangements that do not take into account placing
restrictions on it... The second issue is the spread of these ballistic
missiles in the region and the provision of them to terrorist
organizations. These missiles are now posing a threat to international
trade routes, as well as to neighboring countries that are supposed to
be allies of Washington."
Al-Ali also noted that the negotiations held in Vienna did not address Iran's support for terrorist militias.
"This is not a secondary or marginal issue, but it rather
directly affects security and stability in the entire region... These
militias are Iran's arm in the region and they intend to spread chaos
and destruction wherever they are. The [new] agreement is expected to
unleash Iran's hand in the region, as what happened during the Obama
era, which led to an increase in violence in the region."
The US and its Western allies, Al-Ali said, are mistaken if they think that a new agreement will achieve progress in the region.
"Instead, we expect an increase in the pace of terrorist
acts and the growth of conflicts in the region... The threat will reach
Western societies. If an agreement is reached with Iran, this will be
similar to the Munich Agreement, which released Hitler's hand in Europe
and wreaked unprecedented havoc on Europe."
Veteran Lebanese journalist Kheirallah Kheirallah wrote on February
16 that the Biden administration seems ready to cave in to the mullahs
in Tehran.
The Ukraine crisis, Kheirallah said, "exposed the weakness of the Biden administration, which appears ready to submit to the Islamic Republic."
"It is not surprising that Vladimir Putin went to the end
in Ukraine after discovering that he faced an American administration
that could not be more than an extension of Barack Obama's
administration. The Biden administration can yell and threaten as much
as it wants."
The US, according to the Lebanese journalist, has revealed its "impotence" everywhere in the world.
"Perhaps the most important thing Putin has noticed is
that US allies do not trust it... The Russian president must have paused
for a long time on American behavior towards what is happening in Yemen
and Iran's aggression towards the Arab Gulf states. Whoever discovers
all these American weaknesses can only work to benefit from them. There
is no doubt that Vladimir Putin is a shrewd man who has manipulated
Obama and is currently playing Biden."
Dr. Huda Raouf, an Egyptian political science teacher and researcher
in regional and Iranian affairs, wrote that the Iranian regime has
understood that the Middle East is no longer a priority for the Biden
administration's policy. The Biden administration, according to Raouf, limited its view of the threats to American security to only China and Russia.
"With the sudden and uncalculated withdrawal from
Afghanistan, we find that the Middle East is no longer a priority for
American policy, which is what Iran finally understood... By looking at
the developments of the Vienna talks, we find that the US intends to
reach a reduced copy of the original 2015 agreement. So far, the Biden
administration does not appear to have a comprehensive approach towards
Iran. As long as the US does not negotiate with Iran about its regional
behavior, it may have to build a framework with its partners and allies
on their concerns regarding Iran even after the nuclear deal is
revived."
Raouf noted that Iran feels that it is not being held accountable for its meddling in the internal affairs of the Arab countries.
"So far, it seems to Tehran that there is really no price
to pay, as it has not been pressured about its actions in Iraq and its
involvement in the wars in Yemen, Lebanon and Syria. These are the most
important challenges that may face the region, and there must be a
mechanism for solving them. Reviving the [Iran nuclear] agreement will
not change Iran's regional positions, including its support for groups
such as Hezbollah, Shiite militias in Iraq, the Assad regime in Syria
and the Houthis in Yemen."
Lebanese editor and political activist Mustafa Fahs also expressed concern over the impending agreement. In his view, not reaching any agreement would be better than reaching a new one.
"The [upcoming] agreement seems to be a new factor of
tension in the region, and not a factor of stability... The neighboring
countries, especially the Arab Gulf states, cannot accept a nuclear
agreement without restrictions on Iran's ballistic project and its
regional influence, as fears that the agreement will be confined to the
nuclear issue will lead to an escalation of regional tensions and push
Tehran to invest more in its foreign projects."
In such a scenario, Fahs said, the lack of an agreement would be less harmful than reaching a new one.
"The lack of agreement will keep the conflict with Iran
confined to the great powers," he added. The lack of agreement may also
suit Tehran if it refuses to back down from some of its basic demands.
The lack of agreement removes the specter of a confrontation [between
Iran and the US]. The proposed agreement will open the door wide to
crises."
Sayed Zahra, deputy editor of the Bahraini Akhbar Al-Khaleej newspaper, also asked whether US President Joe Biden has decided to "acquiesce" to Iran.
"Any follower of developments and current events and the
positions and policies of the Biden administration will inevitably
arrive at the fundamental fact that Biden has decided to acquiesce in
Iran; he has decided to yield to its expansionist project, which
ultimately aims to impose Iranian hegemony in the region...
"This project is linked to the terrorist and subversive role played
by Iran and the forces, militias and groups affiliated with it in the
Arab countries, especially Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. Through these
terrorist forces and groups, Iran represents a direct threat to the
security and stability of Arab countries. It is sufficient for us to see
terrorist attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by the
Houthis [Iran-backed terrorist militia in Yemen]. This is the danger
facing the Arab countries. What is important is that the issue of Iran's
terrorist role in the region and the danger of its ballistic missiles
is not at all on the table in the negotiations and does not receive any
serious attention from America and other countries participating in the
negotiations."
Zahra noted that the Gulf states had previously demanded to be
partners in the negotiations, but their request was ignored by the US
and the world powers.
"This simply means that there is an undeclared American
message to Iran that the issue of Tehran's role in the region is not of
much concern to Americans... In other words, it means that Iran and its
proxies feel at liberty to do whatever they want. It is clear that the
US administration has decided to succumb to the reality of Iranian being
a nuclear power. It is clear that the US administration no longer cares
much about the destructive terrorist role Iran is playing in the region
and the capabilities it possesses that allow it to threaten Arab
countries through its agents. We should expect that reaching a new
agreement with Iran will mark the inauguration of a new era of
escalation of the Iranian terrorist threat in the region. The Arab
countries must prepare for this."
Clearly, many in the Arab world are aware of the dangers that derive
from the Biden administration's anemic attitude towards Iran. These
Arabs have alerted the world to the fact that they feel mortally
threatened by Biden's perceived capitulation to the mullahs in Tehran
and the destabilizing consequences for the region.
Most disturbing is what a growing number of Arabs are trying to warn
the Biden administration about: that striking a new deal with Iran would
not only embolden Iran and its terrorist proxies and endanger America's
friends in the Middle East, but create calamitous turmoil, including a
nuclear arms race "on steroids" in the region -- all of which would
justifiably be blamed on the Biden administration. It appears that the
Biden administration has chosen to ignore the likelihood of this
terrifying scenario. It is a decision that is causing irreparable damage
to America's credibility in the Middle East.
Moreover, as Arab analysts are saying in no uncertain terms, America
and its Western allies are themselves in the sights of the mullahs in
Tehran.
Worse, as with Biden's generosity to Russian President Vladimir Putin in extending the new START treaty and gifting him the Nord Stream 2 pipeline (which yesterday filed for bankruptcy), it will not buy goodwill. It will only appear as weakness and accelerate aggression against the West.
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