PanamaTimes

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

U.S. Boast of Gulf Unity on Iran Undercut by Qatari Officials

U.S. Boast of Gulf Unity on Iran Undercut by Qatari Officials

Trump administration officials pushing the United Nations Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran have repeatedly boasted of a rare show of unity among Gulf allies backing the effort.

But officials from Qatar have been sending signals that the emirate, a neighbor and trading partner of Iran, is less enthusiastic than other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council about the letter backing the U.S. stance.

It’s a sign of the tensions surrounding the U.S. resolution to maintain the arms embargo against Iran, which is facing a vote that’s underway Friday. With U.S. allies in Europe among those resisting the resolution, it may not even win the nine votes that would force China and Russia to exercise their threatened vetoes.

U.S. officials have seized on the letter claiming support for the U.S. position by all six states in the GCC. Although the letter was signed only by Nayef Al-Hajraf, secretary general of the council. A cover letter transmitting it to the Security Council’s president also was signed by Amierah Alhefeiti, the UAE’s charge d’affaires. By then, a person familiar with the Qatari stance said, it was viewed as too late to demand changes.

Two Gulf officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the letter didn’t fully reflect Qatar’s view.

The discord first surfaced when Al Jazeera cited Mutlaq bin Majid Al-Qahtani, a senior Qatari foreign affairs official, as saying that collective decisions by the GCC typically follow meetings of the organization’s foreign ministers and that unilateral sanctions don’t lead to positive results.

“The continuation of policies of obstinacy and denial only lead to instability,” Al Qahtani said in the interview. That has led to tensions with other members of the GCC who back U.S. efforts to counter Iran’s influence in the region.

Asked whether Qatar was on board with the gulf alliance’s endorsement of the U.S. position, Brian Hook, the U.S. envoy for Iran, told reporters Thursday that “they have formally approved this letter, and that was the product of a lot of discussions.”

Sanctions Threat


The U.S. is facing criticism in the Security Council for its effort to extend the ban on arms dealings that’s due to expire in October. That’s partly because of the Trump administration’s threats that if the ban is allowed to lapse it will move to “snap back” international sanctions on Iran that were eased as part of the multinational nuclear deal that Trump quit in 2018.

Citing the “increasingly tense” discussions on Iran at the UN, Russian President Vladimir Putin is proposing an online conference of leaders from the five permanent members of the Security Council with Germany and Iran to discuss the future of the stalled 2015 pact on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a statement Friday on a Kremlin website.

The tiff over the Gulf council’s letter comes as the geopolitical map of the Mideast may be undergoing significant change. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and the United Arab Emirates, a member of the Gulf council, have reached an agreement to work toward fully normalized relations.

The letter from the Gulf Cooperation Council was a surprise because a number of Mideast nations led by Saudi Arabia have broken off relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

“This rift has entered its fourth year,” Hook said. “This is the only significant statement the GCC has issued since the rift started, and I think it’s important for people to recognize the significance of this statement.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×