Iran’s “behavior” may improve internationally in the wake of its nuclear deal with world powers but Washington and Gulf Arab allies who accuse it of subversion aim to be prepared if that does not happen, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.
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“Every state in the region hopes that there could be a change but we have to prepare for the possibility and eventuality that it won’t”, he said.
Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah, welcoming Kerry to Qatar for the talks with the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said the alliance wanted to spare the region “from any dangers and threats from nuclear weapons”.
Gulf countries have expressed concerns that the July 14 deal between Iran and world powers would allow greater interference in the region by the Islamic republic. Mr. Kerry had a meeting with the GCC foreign ministers and said that we have agreed to implement a peace accord that would contribute to the region’s security.
Qatar splits control of a vast underwater natural gas field with Iran.
Al-Attiyah suggested that he was speaking for the entire council, although in the past, such meetings have been followed by disagreements among members.
Apparently, Gulf countries feared that the regional balance of power might be tilting towards Iran, as the historic nuclear deal signed by the US and Iran last month.
But Gulf states are concerned about Iran’s regional ambitions and question the Iranian role in the wars in Syria and Yemen. The three-way meeting is unusual, particularly as Russian Federation has been a prime backer of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Saudi Arabia and the United States have been calling for his removal.
At the start of Kerry’s meeting with GCC foreign ministers, Al Attiyah enumerated a number of other issues including the ongoing conflict in Yemen and the pursuit for an independent Palestinian state.
Qatar, like other Gulf states, supports the mostly Sunni rebel movement fighting to topple Assad.
Qatar nonetheless has helped secure the release of hostages held by Syrian rebels, including a group of Greek Orthodox nuns and American journalist Peter Theo Curtis held by the Nusra Front previous year.
And he promises that those human rights fixes are coming, really.
Qatar is also moving ahead with its ambitious plans to become the first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup in seven years’ time.
Kerry is due to meet the foreign ministers of Russian Federation and Saudi Arabia to talk about the civil war in Syria while he is in Doha.
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In a Doha news conference alongside Attiyah, Lavrov said: “We believe it’s counterproductive to announce publicly that some US-trained armed groups… will be under the protection of the coalition’s air forces”, Lavrov said.
