Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Is Iran worried about an 'Arab-Israel' defensive alliance? - analysis

Recent reports have indicated that Israel and several Arab states are growing closer in terms of defense ties. A report at The Wall Street Journal claimed that Israel and “Arab military chiefs” held a “secret” meeting relating to air defense and the Iranian threat. Now Iran’s Fars News, which is considered to reflect the government and the IRGC’s views, has highlighted claims that the Kingdom of Jordan opposes an “Arab-Israel NATO.”  

The article quoted Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi as saying that an Israel-Arab defensive alliance was “not on the agenda of US President Joe Biden's visit to the region.” It noted that he told Al-Jazeera in Qatar that "there is no talk of an Arab coalition of which Israel is a part, and there is not even such a plan."

Iran has an interest in Jordan denying these reports. Tehran doesn’t want any kind of coalition of Arab states, with Israel, working against its plans to undermine regional stability. After all, Iran’s goal is to use Syria as a base against the Jewish state; to hollow out and ruin Lebanon in order to enrich Hezbollah; and also to destroy Yemen and Iraq.  READ MORE