Gulf allies see Iran deal as transformative

US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said Gulf Arab nations strongly support the Trump administrations Iran agreement arguing that regional governments view it as a transformative opportunity to weaken Tehrans destabilising activities and promote longterm stability in the Middle EastAt a White House briefing Vance repeatedly pointed to backing from Gulf countries as one of the strongest endorsements of the agreement contrasting their reaction with their opposition to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated during the Obama administrationI tend to think that you should trust the people who know the Iranians the best and have the most to lose Vance saidWhat are the Gulf Arab states saying about this deal What are they saying about this deal compared to the JCPoA in 2015According to Vance regional governments viewed the Obamaera accord as empowering Iran and enabling its influence across the Middle EastBack then they hated that deal he said They felt like it empowered the Iranians to be bad actors across the region and of course thats exactly what happenedHe added They were right about thatGulf states see opportunityVance said Gulf governments have taken a markedly different view of the Trump administrations agreement because they believe Iran has emerged from the conflict in a substantially weakened positionWhat are they saying about the Presidents peace deal he asked Theyre saying this is an amazingly transformative thing for the regionThe vice president argued that regional governments see benefits regardless of whether Tehran ultimately follows through on its commitmentsEither way we and the broader region win he saidIran is weakened their nuclear program destroyed their economy in desperate straits and if they change their behavior big things are going to happen for Iran and for the worldVance said the agreement was structured so that Iran would only receive broader economic benefits if it complied with its obligationsIf they dont no skin off our backs either way we win and thats the way the President has set up this deal and this negotiation he saidNew security framework envisionedA significant part of the administrations vision involves creating a longterm regional security arrangement centred on the Strait of Hormuz one of the worlds most strategically important waterwaysVance said the memorandum of understanding envisions future discussions among Iran Oman and Gulf Arab states to establish a framework to prevent future disruptions to international shippingThe MOU contemplates that the Omanis the Iranians and the Gulf Coast coalition together will figure out a proper security framework for the Straits in the future he saidThe objective he said is to ensure that the waterway can never again be used to threaten global trade and energy flowsWe dont ever want this to happen againThats about ensuring that the straits are never used as a choke point for the global economy ever againVance argued that such an arrangement reflects the interests of all parties involvedIts frankly not what the Iranians want its not what the Omanis want its not what the GCC wants either he saidEconomic integration is seen as leverageThe vice president also suggested that Gulf nations could become important economic partners for Iran if Tehran demonstrates lasting complianceThere is a great desire from the Arab world and from outside the Arab world to actually get involved in Iran if they behave properly he saidVance cited the United Arab Emirates as an example of a country that could potentially participate in future development projects should sanctions restrictions eventually be easedIf they behave and if the Emiratis themselves want to build a power plant then we will do the sanctions relief necessary to make that possible he saidRather than viewing future investment as a concession to Tehran Vance argued that deeper economic integration would provide additional leverage over Iranian behaviourThe good thing about that is that it actually creates integration which is leverage he saidA world where the Gulf Coast coalition has greater leverage in the Iranian economy is a world where the Iranians are going to be heavily prevented from misbehavingRegional endorsementThroughout the briefing Vance returned repeatedly to the support of Gulf partners as a key justification for the agreementThe Gulf Coast coalition loves this deal because they think that it makes Iran weaker he saidThey know more about this and they have more to lose than anybody including the United States of AmericaThe Gulf states have long been among the most vocal critics of Irans regional activities including its support for armed groups across the Middle EastThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute 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