Iran reconciliation key to regional stability

James Jones, former national security adviser to United States president Barack Obama, at the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate on Sunday. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // With sectarianism and terrorism plaguing the region, political experts have called on Iran to resolve its differences with its Arab neighbours and the GCC to unite in a Nato-like model.

The Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate on Sunday heard a GCC-Iranian dialogue would increase the chances of stability developing throughout the Arab world.

“We hope as the Arab world continues in its efforts to develop solutions to the threats of extremism, terrorism and instability, our neighbour Iran uses the opening offered to it by the international community to promote stability and order rather than divisions and sectarianism,” said Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

“We believe that if Iran takes concrete and practical steps to build trust and resolve its differences with its Arab neighbours, the chances of stability developing throughout the Arab world will grow.”

Dr Gargash said Iran was not only fuelling the conflict in Yemen and Bahrain, but was intervening in Syria and Iraq.

He said: “It could spend the money unlocked by the nuclear deal to repair its own economy and build a future for its own youth rather than stepping up funding for Hizbollah and similar forms of interference in the Arab world.

“Iran’s foreign minister has called for an Iranian-GCC dialogue. We are not against a dialogue provided that Iran first changes its behaviour in the region. Dialogue, in order to succeed, needs solid foundations and sincere intentions.”

Experts drew parallels between the Gulf in 2015 and Europe in 1949. “Europe united over the idea of collective defence due to common threat,” said James Jones, former US national security adviser to president Barack Obama.

Mr Jones, chairman of the Brent Scowcroft Centre on International Security at the US-based Atlantic Council, said: “For many years, Nato had both a civilian and military component to it based on collective defence. The strategic question for this region is, if it is faced with an existential threat which I believe [it is], then what does it do about that collectively?”

He said Iran’s continued sponsorship of non-state actors and the threat of ISIL raised regional concern. “I think a legitimate, logical question is, would it be useful to think of a more formal arrangement Nato-like with GCC countries uniting under the previous model of Nato? I believe that would make American policy easier to articulate instead of dealing with many different countries on a bilateral basis. If we united around a policy that an attack against one is an attack against all, then I think you have the elements of bringing stability and more predictability into the region.”

The first step for the GCC was to identify economic, political, military, technological, cultural and social threats, said Ibrahim Al Marie, a security and strategic affairs expert from Saudi Arabia. He said: “If we have clear answers to these questions, then we can build efficient strategies to safeguard our security.”