Gulf Arab countries offered their support for
the United States’ nuclear deal with Iran on
Monday, an important diplomatic victory for
President Barack Obama’s administration as it
seeks to sell Congress on the merits of the
agreement.
The expression of support came out of a
meeting in Qatar of the Gulf Cooperation
Council, a collective of oil-rich states, including
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar,
Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain. The move further
isolates Israel, America’s other Middle East ally,
which has vocally opposed the Iran deal.
“This was the best option amongst other
options in order to try to come up with a
solution for the nuclear weapons of Iran
through dialogue, and this came up as a result
of the efforts exerted by the United States of
America and its allies,” Qatari Foreign Minister
Khalid al-Attiyah said at a press conference.
Qatar currently enjoys the chairmanship of the
GCC.
The Sunni-led governments, particularly Saudi
Arabia, are fierce adversaries of the Shiite-
dominated government in Tehran. However,
the White House was worked diligently to
reassure the Arab leaders that a deal is in
every regional country’s best interest.
“Ministers agreed … that once fully
implemented, the [nuclear deal] contributes to
the region’s long-term security, including by
preventing Iran from developing or acquiring a
military nuclear capability,” said Secretary of
State John Kerry, who attended the conference.
In April, Obama invited the leaders of the GCC
to Washington for the most high-profile effort
to sell the deal to allies, but no-shows from
Saudi Arabia’s monarch, King Salman, and
others raised doubts about Arab support for
the deal.
The comments from the GCC may help combat
Republican criticisms that the accord endangers
U.S. allies in the Middle East. Congress is set to
hold a vote on the deal in September. Though a
majority in the House and Senate is likely to
reject the deal, the White House is confident it
will be able to sustain a veto on a resolution of
disapproval.
foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/03/obama-administration-wins-gulf-support-for-iran-deal/