Middle Eastern Countries' Reactions to the U.S. Withdrawal from the JCPOA

Several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, welcomed the U.S. action of withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran, while others, including Turkey and Syria, strongly criticized the decision. Saudi Arabia praised U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to end the suspension of nuclear sanctions against Iran. In a statement released on Wednesday, May 8, by the Saudi government's official news agency, it was mentioned that Riyadh had previously supported the nuclear agreement with Iran because it 'believed that action was necessary to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and the world.' However, the statement accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of using the economic benefits from the lifting of sanctions to support its destabilizing activities in the region, particularly the development of ballistic missiles and support for terrorist groups in the region such as Hezbollah and Houthi militants. Iran and Saudi Arabia have repeatedly accused each other of supporting 'terrorism' in recent years. The Saudi king and crown prince have often referred to Iran as 'the greatest enemy' of Saudi Arabia, while Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has described Saudi Arabia as a 'milking cow' and 'a Western mercenary.' The United Arab Emirates also welcomed President Trump's action to withdraw from the JCPOA. According to the UAE news agency, the country's foreign ministry, in a statement released on Wednesday, called on the international community and the signatory countries of the nuclear agreement with Iran to 'join Donald Trump in ensuring international security and stability' by 'making the Middle East free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.' Bahrain also accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of not adhering to international laws and praised the U.S. president's action to withdraw from the JCPOA. In a statement released by the Bahraini government on Wednesday, it was noted that Bahrain supports all efforts to 'prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and its financial and moral support for regional militants.' Iran and Bahrain's relations have soured in recent years, with Bahraini officials repeatedly reporting the discovery of militants linked to the Revolutionary Guards in their country. Iran has always denied these accusations. Before the Arab countries, Israel was the first country in the region to welcome the U.S. president's decision. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, called Trump's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA a 'historic action' just minutes after Trump's speech, stating that Iran 'continued to develop its ballistic missiles for carrying nuclear warheads despite the nuclear agreement.' Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran and Israel have been considered the two main enemies in the Middle East. Iranian officials have always referred to Israel as a country that possesses nuclear weapons, and some have called for the elimination of this country. Additionally, two Arab organizations close to Saudi Arabia also welcomed the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, called for a review of the nuclear agreement with Iran. The Arab League Secretary-General stated on Wednesday in Tunisia that the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers 'only addressed the nuclear aspect of Iran's activities, while we said this aspect, despite its importance, is not the only issue that should be addressed regarding Iran.' Aboul Gheit emphasized that Iran's non-nuclear actions in the region also lead to 'instability' and called on Arab countries to adopt a unified stance in response to Iran. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they are not willing to renegotiate the JCPOA or review the nuclear agreement. At the same time, Yusuf al-Othaimeen, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, also welcomed the U.S. president's action to withdraw from the JCPOA. According to Arab media, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation stated on Wednesday that the initial welcome of Arab countries to the JCPOA was because 'it was believed that the nuclear agreement with Iran would lead to increased stability and peace in the Middle East.' However, he stated that Iran 'exploited this agreement and continued to develop its ballistic missile program and support terrorism.' Criticism from Turkey and Syria regarding the U.S. action: The official Syrian news agency, SANA, quoted a source in the country's foreign ministry condemning Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, calling it 'indicative of Washington's non-compliance with its international commitments.' This official also emphasized Syria's 'full solidarity' with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Throughout the seven-year Syrian war, Iran has been the main ally of Bashar al-Assad's government. Turkey also criticized the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Reuters reported, citing Turkish media, that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Trump's action a 'loss' for Washington and accused the United States of not adhering to its agreement.