Gulf states should be party to proposed ‘Iran talks’

CAIRO: Washington’s Gulf Arab allies should be included in proposed treaty negotiations with Iran over its ballistic missile programme and regional behaviour, a senior Emiriati official said on Thursday.

Brian Hook, US special envoy for Iran, said on Wednesday the United States is seeking to negotiate a treaty with Iran to include Tehran’s ballistic missiles and its regional behaviour. Iran has rejected US attempts to hold high-level talks since President Donald Trump tore up a nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers earlier this year. Anwar Gargash, United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, described Hook’s comments as "important".

"It is essential that the Gulf Arab states be a party to the proposed negotiations. It is prudent for Tehran to avoid sanctions and to take these proposals seriously," he tweeted. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain swiftly backed Trump’s decision in May to withdraw from the nuclear accord and reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

The Muslim-ruled states are at loggerheads with Iran, fighting a proxy war that has influenced conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. The Gulf Arab states were not party to the nuclear accord, and while they were consulted by Western powers during the talks that led up to it, they played no direct role in those negotiations.