US will stop Iran developing nuclear weapon, top official assures Gulf and region


Mina Aldroubi
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The US will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and will counter its destabilising actions in the region if Tehran does “not engage seriously”, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday.

Speaking at the annual Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, Mr Austin assured Gulf Arab allies that Washington was committed to the region as President Joe Biden’s administration tries to revive the Iran nuclear deal, which limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

“The US is committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon and to a diplomatic outcome of the nuclear issue,” Mr Austin said at the event organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

“But if Iran isn’t willing to engage seriously, we will look at all necessary options to keep the US secure,” he said.

“The US maintains the right to defend itself and we will defend ourselves and our interests no matter what, let no countries get that wrong. We are also committed in not allowing Iran to get any nuclear weapons,” Mr Austin said.

America’s commitment to security in the Middle East is strong and sure
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin

The top US defence official said Iran presented threats “beyond its nuclear programme”, and criticised Tehran’s support for terrorism and proxy groups in the region.

“Iran should have no illusions that it can undermine our strong relationships in the region. And we will defend ourselves, and our friends, and our interests,” he said.

Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, but US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency say Tehran had an organised weapons programme until 2003.

Former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. This followed by an escalation of unclaimed attacks in the region. They include drone and mine attacks targeting vessels at sea, as well as assaults blamed on Iran and its proxies in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Austin said the US remains “committed to a diplomatic outcome of the nuclear issue”, with talks on reviving the 2015 agreement set to commence next week.

Iran’s new administration has delayed the resumption of the nuclear talks it suspended in June and has continued adding to its stockpile of 20 per cent and 60 per cent enriched uranium. In recent weeks it has hardened its position by demanding that Washington lift all sanctions at once to make an agreement possible.

“America’s commitment to security in the Middle East is strong and sure, we will defend our interests, we will protect our forces from Tehran and its proxies,” Mr Austin said.

  • People attend a speech by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin during the 17th IISS Manama Dialogue in the Bahraini capital. All photos: AFP
    People attend a speech by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin during the 17th IISS Manama Dialogue in the Bahraini capital. All photos: AFP
  • Ayman Safadi, Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, delivers a speech at the dialogue.
    Ayman Safadi, Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, delivers a speech at the dialogue.
  • Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein speaks during the event.
    Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein speaks during the event.
  • Itay Tagner, Israel's charge d'affaires to Bahrain, speaks to Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.
    Itay Tagner, Israel's charge d'affaires to Bahrain, speaks to Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.
  • Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit was among the officials in Manama.
    Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit was among the officials in Manama.
  • Emirati military officers attend the event in the Bahraini capital.
    Emirati military officers attend the event in the Bahraini capital.
  • Bahraini female security officers at the dialogue.
    Bahraini female security officers at the dialogue.
  • Stacey Dixon, US principal deputy director for National Intelligence, speaks to a US Navy officer.
    Stacey Dixon, US principal deputy director for National Intelligence, speaks to a US Navy officer.
  • Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defence, and John Chipman, director general and chief executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which organised the dialogue.
    Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defence, and John Chipman, director general and chief executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which organised the dialogue.
  • A Royal Marines lieutenant general and captain arrive at the event.
    A Royal Marines lieutenant general and captain arrive at the event.
  • Najla Mangoush, Libya's Minister of Foreign Affairs, attends the conference in Manama.
    Najla Mangoush, Libya's Minister of Foreign Affairs, attends the conference in Manama.
  • Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC, gives a speech at the event.
    Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC, gives a speech at the event.
  • A French naval officer attends the Manama dialogue.
    A French naval officer attends the Manama dialogue.
  • An employee at the event cleans the podium between speeches.
    An employee at the event cleans the podium between speeches.
  • Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry addresses the conference.
    Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry addresses the conference.
  • Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, speaks at the event in Manama.
    Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, speaks at the event in Manama.

“We’ll work together to make this region more stable and secure. We’ll work together to make this region more prosperous and just.”

The US killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, who oversaw Iran's regional proxies, in a drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at American troop positions in Iraq, and Tehran-affiliated Iraqi forces and politicians demanded the withdrawal of US troops stationed in the country as part of the US-led coalition against ISIS.

Mr Austin said US forces were in Iraq at the invitation of the government in Baghdad.

“We will make sure that ISIS does not have the capability to make a comeback and will keep pressure on ISIS,” he said.

Since he took office in January, President Joe Biden's administration has reshuffled US forces in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria, to other areas.

“We have shifted to focusing on training and providing resources to Iraq, to continue to mature its forces,” Mr Austin said.

Over the past 18 months, the size of American forces in Iraq has reduced to 2,500 from about 3,000. The remaining personnel will continue a mission to protect the US embassy and to train Iraqi forces.

The US has been working closely with the Iraqi military to battle ISIS sleeper cells which have continued to stage attacks since the defeat of the group in late 2017.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country is willing to go into talks with Iran to ease regional tensions.

"None of us wants a conflict with Iran, we all want to be able to get on and we don't want another crisis in the region," Mr Safadi told the audience.

"Our region needs more than deterrence, we need solutions," he said, adding that crises have been going on "for way too long causing too much destruction, pain and too many missed opportunities."

Mr Safadi said the region has to identify the root causes of instability and address conflicting agendas with Iran.

"Diplomacy is the key word, it has to be diplomacy and we must have a clear understanding of what there is," he said.

Terrorism is a threat, he said, but it was not enough to focus purely on military or security components of the problem.

"This is only something that we in region, with the support of our partners, can overcome," he said, adding that proactive diplomacy is needed.

Iran's nuclear programme - in pictures

  • Russian contractors work at the Bushehr nuclear reactor site in 2007. The plant opened four years later. Bloomberg
    Russian contractors work at the Bushehr nuclear reactor site in 2007. The plant opened four years later. Bloomberg
  • An Iranian technician at the International Atomic Energy Agency inspects the country's Isfahan plant in 2007. Tehran is no longer co-operating with the agency at nuclear sites across the country. EPA
    An Iranian technician at the International Atomic Energy Agency inspects the country's Isfahan plant in 2007. Tehran is no longer co-operating with the agency at nuclear sites across the country. EPA
  • Workers wait to begin constructing a second reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in 2019. AFP
    Workers wait to begin constructing a second reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in 2019. AFP
  • A metal-encased rod with 20 per cent enriched nuclear fuel is inserted into a reactor in Tehran in 2012. AFP
    A metal-encased rod with 20 per cent enriched nuclear fuel is inserted into a reactor in Tehran in 2012. AFP
  • Fomer Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the country's Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Salehi speak at the Bushehr nuclear site in 2015. AFP
    Fomer Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the country's Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Salehi speak at the Bushehr nuclear site in 2015. AFP
  • Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant has been restarted. EPA
    Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant has been restarted. EPA
  • Mehdi Abrichamtchi, chairman of the Peace and Security Committee at the National Council of Resistance of Iran, shows journalists the location of a secret nuclear site in Iran in 2013. AFP
    Mehdi Abrichamtchi, chairman of the Peace and Security Committee at the National Council of Resistance of Iran, shows journalists the location of a secret nuclear site in Iran in 2013. AFP
  • Workers prepare to begin the construction of a second reactor at the Bushehr site. AFP
    Workers prepare to begin the construction of a second reactor at the Bushehr site. AFP
Ways to control drones

Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.

"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.

New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.

It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.

The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.

The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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THE BIO

Age: 33

Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill

Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.

Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?

Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in

Updated: November 21, 2021, 6:17 AM