Missile Defense in the Persian Gulf: 'Precondition for Nuclear Agreement'

The deployment of the U.S. missile defense shield along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf is part of commitments that Washington has undertaken to reduce the dissatisfaction of Arab countries in the region regarding the finalization of the nuclear agreement with Tehran. The fulfillment of strategic commitments by the U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council member states to defend regional security, emphasized in the Camp David joint statement, is reportedly in line with the basic expectations of Arab countries in the region. These countries had previously called for a military defense pact with the U.S. against security threats from Iran, and the newly ascended King of Saudi Arabia warned that 'if Iran moves towards a nuclear bomb, a nuclear competition will arise in the region.' The U.S. claims that if the nuclear agreement with Tehran is finalized, the distance between the Islamic Republic and a nuclear bomb will increase to about one year, and this agreement is security-wise beneficial for the countries in the region. However, U.S. regional allies, including Israel and the southern Gulf states, have expressed their concerns, dissatisfaction, and even opposition to the U.S.'s negotiations with the Islamic Republic over the past two years on various occasions. Before hosting representatives from the southern Gulf Arab states at his summer residence in Camp David, Washington also provided nearly $800 million in military aid to Tel Aviv, and on Friday, May 16, Obama sent a very friendly message to the Israeli Prime Minister congratulating Netanyahu on the formation of his coalition government, emphasizing the importance of strategic cooperation between the two countries. Undoubtedly, Tehran is as dissatisfied with the U.S.'s military commitments and increased presence in the Persian Gulf as the Arabs and Israel appear to be with the U.S.'s nuclear agreements with the Islamic Republic. As the 'rescue ship' carrying (non-military declared) aid from Iran approached the shores of Yemen, several U.S. military vessels approached Iran's not-so-large naval convoy. In a reciprocal act, interpreted as Tehran's retaliatory action, the Revolutionary Guards' military boats surrounded a commercial ship flying the Marshall Islands flag in waters near the Strait of Hormuz and forced it to dock on the shores of Iran. The release of this commercial ship in Bandar Abbas and subsequently the implicit agreement to allow the continuation of Iran's 'rescue ship' towards Yemen, provided it undergoes inspection by United Nations representatives, neutralized a temporary tension that could have overshadowed Iran-U.S. nuclear talks. Shortly thereafter, the issuance of the Camp David joint statement, which emphasized the deployment of the U.S. missile defense shield in support of Arab countries and the subject of joint cooperation to counter 'asymmetric threats,' provoked a strong reaction from Tehran. On Saturday, Ali Khamenei, in remarks that seem to reflect Tehran's reaction to the new military cooperation between the U.S. and the Arabs, threatened: 'An insecure Persian Gulf will be unsafe for all.' According to the Camp David statement, the U.S. has committed to cooperate with Arab countries in the region against cyber threats, asymmetric warfare, and terrorist actions, without naming any specific country as a threatening factor, and to support them in various fields, including providing necessary training and equipment and exchanging security information. In addition to accepting security commitments to the Arab states and providing generous military aid to Israel, the U.S. government has also had to compromise with Congress and retreat in front of Congress in recent weeks to pave the way for reaching a final nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic, hoping to bring the political efforts of the past two years to fruition before the end of June this year.