‘Arabs have put their trust in the West for too long and got nothing’

What the Arabic-language press is saying about the P5+1's nuclear deal with Iran.

All smiles in Lausanne, but what will the anticipated deal with Tehran mean for the Middle East? EPA/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

What the Arabic language press says about the Iran nuclear deal. Translated by Racha Makarem

Barack Obama seemed overjoyed as he announced the “historic and positive” deal that was struck with Iran last week. This followed long and complicated negotiations that had caused rifts between his administration and the Republican Party and with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Among Washington’s allies in the Gulf, the deal elicited much rancour and bitterness.

Columnist Rajeh Al Khoury said in the Lebanese daily Annahar that the calls Mr Obama made to Gulf leaders following the signing of the deal, reaffirming US commitment to ensure the security of its allies in the region, were meaningless.

When it comes to the US, “it has been confirmed that commitments to certain issues and policies aren’t necessarily binding”, he wrote.

Instead he identified that the important question is whether the nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions will affect Iran’s interference and manipulative politics when it came to Arab countries.

“The question here isn’t whether Iran possesses nuclear weapons or not. In fact, after Hiroshima, there isn’t a country that would be willing to use nuclear weapons. These are mere power cards,” he noted.

“Gulf countries could acquire a nuclear bomb from Pakistan if they wished to. But the main issue is whether Iran would refrain from interfering and stirring tensions in the region around it.”

In yesterday’s editorial in Al Ittihad, the Arabic language sister newspaper to The National, editor-in-chief Mohammed Al Hammadi said Tehran had now officially joined hands with what it once referred to as the “great Satan” and the two countries are now friends.

“We, the Arabs on the other coast of the Arabian Gulf, don’t concern ourselves with who will be the biggest winner in the deal, the Persians or the West,” he wrote.

“We have put our trust in the West for too long and we got nothing from them but back-stabbing. What concerns us about this deal is that we don’t fall into the trap of waiting and anticipation all over again.

“Instead, we must focus on our interests and on future Arab generations. More importantly, we must deter any plans to instate a ‘watch officer’ in our region, especially at this phase of resolution we are experiencing at present. We, the Arabs, can’t accept having an Iranian, Turkish or Israeli watchman over our region.”

The Arab world is witnessing a renaissance that must continue uninterrupted, he said. It is clear that the world understands only the language of power and respects only the strong. This is why Arab countries must be strong and they must be able to impose their will, he suggested.

People throughout the Arab world are clamouring for a stronger nation. Arab youth refuse to inherit the mistakes and shortcomings of their predecessors. They see themselves as capable of bringing about positive change, Al Hammadi said.

Operation Decisive Storm, the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention designed to stop the Houthi expansion in Yemen and to confront Iran’s greed in the Gulf, proved that Arabs can indeed join forces, he said.

What stops such an alliance from being repeated to defend Arab people and territories in the future?

“The Arab resolve showed that we are a nation capable of making an impact and a difference. Why should Arabs return to the confusing pre-resolve period?” he wrote.

Arabs are at a most delicate crossroads. The choices of today will draw their position and their significance on the world map in the future.