News Analysis: Iran's nuclear deal adds further discords to U.S.-GCC ties

The possible Western-Iranian deal regarding the Persian country's nuclear capabilities adds further depth to the tense relations between the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the West in general, particularly the United States, said political experts.

In early April, Iran and six world powers, including the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, reached an initial agreement in the Swiss city of Lausanne to limit Iran's uranium enrichment capacity, level and stockpile for a specific period in return for relieving the economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

Later in mid-May, U.S. President Barack Obama held a summit with Gulf leaders and their representatives in Washington to reassure them about the Iranian deal that is scheduled to be concluded in a few weeks to come, by late June.

U.S. SEEKS GCC NOD

"Obama wants to pass this deal with Iran via a nod from the GCC states due to the obstacles he internally faces from opposition and externally from its number one regional ally Israel before bidding farewell to the Oval Office within two years," said Omar al-Hassan, head of the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.

The regional expert added that the Camp David summit failed to reassure the United States' Gulf allies about their security and stability if the deal with Iran is concluded.

"The summit was in favor of Obama more than the GCC states," Hassan continued, lamenting that the summit did not mean the United States was serious about its promises and reassurance and that it was only meant to get a GCC nod for the deal.

FRUITLESS TALKS

While wrapping up the summit, Obama demanded GCC support for the Iraqi government, for a peaceful settlement in Libya and Yemen and for the moderate opposition in Syria.

"These are fruitless demands because the Iraqi government is sectarian, and Libya has been divided so that no one knows who is who, while the GCC states have already tried and failed to find a peaceful solution to the Yemeni crisis even before the Shiite Houthi fighters advanced and forced the Yemeni president to flee the country," Hassan commented.

He added that the Gulf official and popular reactions to the summit showed "dissatisfaction." "Iran was the only party that benefited from this summit."

Mohamed Kamal, a political science professor at Cairo University, echoed Hassan's opinion that the results of the summit in Washington were "disappointing" and that it offered the GCC states no real guarantees or reassurances about their security concerns related to Iran.

IRAN AMBITIONS, GCC CONCERNS

The Gulf states are concerned about Iran's alleged regional expansion and hegemonic ambitions that pose a threat to their thrones, especially if the deal with the United States is reached and the economic sanctions imposed on Tehran are lifted.

"The GCC states look at Iran as their archenemy and the main source of threat in the Middle East, therefore they are concerned that the anticipated deal and sanction relief will make Iran stronger and increase its regional threats," said professor Kamal.

Influential Saudi Arabia is currently leading a regional military coalition launching air strikes against targets of the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi militants in Yemen who have recently forced the country's president to flee to Saudi Arabia.

"The security of the Gulf states lies in Yemen," said Hassan, noting that the GCC countries tried hard to work on a peaceful settlement to the Yemeni crisis before it has gone this far to prevent the expansion of the Houthis and hence that of Iran.

Further, some provinces in GCC states like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and above all Bahrain are overwhelmed by Shiite citizens whose main loyalty goes to Iran.

U.S.-GCC RIFT

Over the past six years, Obama's outgoing administration has failed to fulfill its promises made to the Arab world regarding their own security and stability and to resolve their central Palestinian cause by realizing the two-state solution between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides.

The discords between the United States and its oil-rich allies seem to have grown even deeper since the start of the Iran-nuclear talks.

"There is no doubt that the deal with Iran affected the relations between the Gulf states and the West in general and the United States in particular," the chief of the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies told Xinhua.

Hassan continued that Washington's foreign policy has been "a failure" as it failed the Arab nation on the Palestinian issue, the Syrian crisis, leaving Libya divided on one hand, while backing the Shiite Iranians in Iraq against the Sunnis.

"All the U.S. policies did not serve the Arab interests, nor did they serve the U.S.-Arab approach in general or the U.S.-GCC approach in particular," the expert told Xinhua.

U.S. ARMS PROMOTION

Some experts believe that the Western policies in the Middle East are based on their regional interests, particularly when it comes to the United States that uses regional conflicts to intimidate Arab states and promote its weapon deals.

"The only tangible result of the summit is that the United States offered the Gulf countries a weapon deal," said professor Kamal of Cairo University, adding that the world's big power perceives Iran in a manner different from that of the Arab countries.

The same opinion was adopted by diplomatic expert Ahmed al-Ghamrawi, Egypt's former assistant foreign minister and former ambassador to Iraq, who argued that the United States pushes regional countries into trouble to achieve regional interests.

"The United States uses regional terrorism and conflicts to intimidate and dominate the GCC states, and this is why the U.S.-GCC summit resulted in nothing but a U.S. offer to sell defensive missiles," the ex-ambassador told Xinhua. Endit