Saudis Call For United Front Against Iran, Reach Gulf Detente With Qatar

 

Egypt, Bahrain, UAE, and Saudis agree to restore ties with Doha

Dave DeCamp 

Posted onJanuary 5, 2021CategoriesNewsTagsBahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE

Saudi Arabia called for a united front against Iran on Tuesday during a Gulf summit where Riyadh and three of its allies agreed to restore diplomatic ties with Qatar, ending the three and half year blockade.

In 2017, the Saudis, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar for a number of reasons, one of them being Doha’s alleged close ties with Iran.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Gulf leaders should unify “to advance our region, and face the challenges that surround us — especially the challenges represented by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programs.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement on the restoration of ties between Qatar and its neighbors. “Restoring full diplomatic relations is imperative for all parties in the region to unite against common threats,” he said in an apparent reference to Iran.

The effort to end the diplomatic row was pushed by the US. Through this effort and brokering Arab normalization deals with Israel, the Trump administration has been working to ensure the cooperation of its allies in the region to counter Iran.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/01/05/saudis-call-for-united-front-against-iran-reach-gulf-detente-with-qatar/