Pence: Increasing Threats from Iran Could Lead to a New Alignment in the Region

Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, stated early Friday, December 22, that the increasing threat from Iran in the region has led to new activities among Arab countries, which could be described as the beginning of a new alignment. According to Reuters, the Vice President said: 'We are committed to standing alongside our allies in the region.' Pence added that due to the growing threat from the Iranian government, many Arab countries have engaged in activities that can be described as the start of a new alignment. He referred to President Donald Trump's trip to the Middle East, where he visited Saudi Arabia and Israel in late May and early June. During this trip, Trump described the Islamic Republic of Iran as a government that 'provides a safe harbor for terrorists and supports them financially, and is responsible for instability in the region.' The President also mentioned that there is a 'broad consensus' on countering Iran and expressed optimism about the 'long negotiations he had in Saudi Arabia with leaders of the Islamic world, including the King of Saudi Arabia.' In this context, Yossi Mekelberg, an analyst at Chatham House in the UK, noted that the existing realities indicate the alignment of the policies of Sunni countries in the Middle East with Israel. Pence continued by stating that the President emphasized he would not allow Iran, as the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, to acquire nuclear weapons. He added: 'What we are looking for are new bills (in the U.S. Congress) that would provide a framework for reapplying sanctions against this government whenever it makes an effort to acquire nuclear weapons and bring the international community together around such sanctions.' He further stated: 'The President has made it very clear that he will not allow the world's main state sponsor of terrorism in Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons, and we hope to achieve this goal with the cooperation of Congress in preparing such bills.' This is while Iran claims its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and for energy production.