Jerusalem, 27 March, 2022 (TPS) — “The Negev Summit is a historic and important summit,” Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed, a senior journalist from Bahrain and former head of the Journalists’ Association, told TPS.
Six foreign ministers will participate in the historic Negev Summit: Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco Nasser Bourita, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Shoukry.
Ahmed said in the interview that the message emerging from the summit is that “the Abraham Accords actually became a new reality in the Middle East when all partners decided to work together for the stability of the region while the world changed before our eyes, as we have seen in Europe.”
“The summit is a very important step in the moderate Arab states’ effort to create a united front with Israel’s participation against Iran, especially in light of the United States’ intention to remove the Revolutionary Guards from the list of terrorist organizations while failing to provide security guarantees, “she noted.
She was relating to the US considering the option of removing the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) from its Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list as part of the renewed nuclear deal with Tehran.
“The United States’ moves are the strangest,” the journalist commented, “and this is how they are perceived in Bahrain and the Gulf in general”.
She believes that “the Negev Summit indicates that relations between the Gulf states and Israel and the United States are being tested.”
“The Arab states and Israel are forming a new alliance against Iran and the ayatollahs’ regime, which is working to continue its expansion and is sending tentacles throughout the Middle East. The summit is also a political statement and a show of defiance of US’ Revolutionary Guards policy, as removing sanctions on Iran and removing the Revolutionary Guards from the list of terrorist organizations will give them many millions of dollars that will flow to the Houthis who attacked Saudi Arabia just over the weekend.”
Ahmed estimates in light of recent talks with various sources that “Egypt and the moderate countries will not be able to accept Iranian hegemony in the region and the realization of Khomeini’s dream of 1979. This is a crazy revolution as Iran becomes an existential threat to the Gulf states.”
A combined attack launched by Iranian-back Houthi rebels from Yemen hit the heart of Saudi Arabia over the weekend. The fuel reserves of the oil giant Aramco burned for long hours. Missiles were aimed at other vital targets in the heart of the Kingdom and an attack on the city of Jeddah also threatened a Formula 1 race held nearby.
The moderate Arab states condemned the Houthi attack on Saudi oil facilities in the shadow of the world oil shortage following the war in Ukraine.
The United States once again condemned the Houthi attack and promised further assistance to strengthen Saudi air defense systems. However, Saudis, like the Emirates, are demanding active American involvement.
The attack on Saudi Arabia has increased tensions between the Saudis and the Americans, and has augmented the Gulf’s criticism of the US’ soft policy towards Iran on the way to a new nuclear deal, mainly following the US intention to remove the IRGC from the list of FTOs.
Sources in the Gulf told TPS that “criticism of the American policy and the fear of it giving the Iranians more freedom of action will be at the center of the Negev Summit.”