American General Calls for Arab Unity to 'Counter' Iran

The head of the U.S. Central Command, General Joseph Votel, on Wednesday, September 21, urged Arab countries to set aside their differences and unite against Iran's efforts to 'destabilize' the region. Speaking ahead of a military conference in Kuwait, Votel, who commands U.S. military forces in the Middle East, stated: 'The two intolerable security threats that the region faces are Iran's destabilizing actions and extremist terrorist organizations.' The military conference in Kuwait is set to take place on Wednesday with the participation of Saudi Arabia and its allies, as well as Qatar, which has had hostile relations with them over the past year. General Votel emphasized the necessity of enhancing and integrating capabilities in line with their common national security interests, placing this issue at the forefront. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia and several Arab countries severed ties with Qatar, demanding that the country suspend its relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and adopt a stronger stance against their rival, Iran. This situation has become a strategic headache for Washington over the past year, as Qatar hosts the Central Command base, while its rival Bahrain hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet. Kuwait, which has attempted to mediate between Qatar and other Arab countries during this time, has stated that it is considering U.S. proposals for regional unity to counter Iran's influence. The Islamic Republic of Iran is accused of intervening in the affairs of other regional countries such as Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, and Lebanon through its military arm abroad, the Quds Force of the IRGC. Currently, Saudi Arabia leads an Arab coalition supporting the government of Mansour Hadi in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis. The three-year civil war in Yemen has resulted in thousands of deaths and left millions in need of food and medical aid from international organizations. Tehran officials claim that their assistance to the Houthis in Yemen is not military in nature, despite reports from the United Nations and the United States at various times indicating that Iran has supplied this Shiite group with missiles and other military equipment. On September 9, Admiral Scott Stearney, commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, accused Iran of exacerbating 'instability' in the region through its activities in the Middle East and its support for the Yemeni Houthi rebels, while announcing military exercises in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. He stated that the U.S. Navy intends to conduct military exercises in September to demonstrate its readiness to ensure freedom of navigation in the waterways of the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.