Pompeo Invites Netanyahu to International Conference on Iran

Israeli television Channel 10 reported on Friday evening, January 21, that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has been invited to an international conference hosted by the United States focusing on Iran. Mr. Pompeo announced on Thursday night, January 20, in an interview with Fox News, that a conference hosted by the United States in Poland on February 13 and 14 will address peace, stability, and security in the Middle East, centering on the 'threats' posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The invitation from Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, to the Israeli Prime Minister occurred two weeks prior to the announcement of such a conference in Poland. The timing of the U.S. invitation to the Israeli leader likely coincides with the simultaneous presence of Netanyahu and Pompeo in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. The Israeli Prime Minister and the U.S. Secretary of State participated two weeks ago in the inauguration ceremony of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's new president, and discussed Iran and particularly the military presence of Iran in Syria during a meeting on the sidelines. An 'Israeli senior official' told Channel 10 that the Prime Minister has not yet made a definitive decision regarding the trip to Poland, but according to Barak Ravid, a reporter for the channel, Netanyahu's presence at such a conference, especially with senior officials from many Arab countries, could strengthen his position in Israeli public opinion ahead of the parliamentary elections in Israel on April 8. While Fox News reported, quoting Mike Pompeo, that the U.S. would gather 'leaders' from dozens of countries at this conference, Channel 10 stated that foreign ministers from Arab countries in the Middle East have been invited. According to this report, in addition to the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, which have full political relations with Israel, foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and several other countries have been invited to the conference in Poland, and Netanyahu's presence alongside them could signify the normalization of relations between Israel and these Arab states. Donald Trump has had the closest coordination with Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Iran since he took office two years ago; both have strongly criticized the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, and Israel welcomed the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA the most. Both leaders also share the view that Iran must be expelled from Syria and that confronting Tehran's regional influence is necessary. Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized cooperation with the U.S. in achieving the 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran during his recent meeting with Mike Pompeo and also in a meeting this week with John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, who visited Jerusalem. Mr. Pompeo has stated several times in recent days that pressure and sanctions against Iran will be intensified in the coming weeks. The timing of the U.S. hosting the conference in Poland coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran, and several other leaders of the Tehran regime have openly expressed concern about events that could undermine the foundations of their government in the fortieth year of the Islamic Republic and have issued 'warnings.' Meanwhile, Donald Trump has emphasized that Iran's economic situation has worsened as a result of the sanctions that the U.S. re-imposed on Iran since November 5, and according to him, this deterioration has led Tehran's leaders to consider negotiating with the U.S.; Iran has strongly denied this, claiming that it is the U.S. that has sent individuals to Kabul to 'approach' Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, for negotiations. In this context, Iran has emphasized that Poland should be 'ashamed' for hosting the U.S.-led conference on its soil at the end of February. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, tweeted on Friday, 'While Iran saved Poles during World War II, this country is now hosting a desperate anti-Iranian circus.' Mr. Zarif also reacted on Thursday to Mike Pompeo's speech at the American University in Cairo, a significant part of which was related to outlining Washington's policies regarding Iran and the increasing 'acceptability' of Israel in the Arab world, tweeting, 'Wherever and whenever the U.S. intervenes, chaos, oppression, and hatred ensue.' According to ISNA, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, also rejected Mr. Pompeo's statements in Cairo on Friday, claiming that the U.S., which itself withdrew from the JCPOA, is now experiencing a kind of chronic despair and anger because it cannot find a replacement for it. The U.S. Secretary of State has been visiting eight Arab countries since Tuesday this week to reassure Washington's allies regarding the policies of Donald Trump's administration, including after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, visiting Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, and will also visit the Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia. In his speech on Thursday at the American University in Cairo, Mr. Pompeo spoke about the relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq with Israel and described it as one of the signs of regional change, especially as a result of Iran's aggressive policies. Mr. Pompeo's remarks were the first explicit comments by a senior U.S. official regarding the existence of contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Recently, the Israeli Prime Minister has only alluded to progress in his country's relations with Saudi Arabia. However, at the same time, Israeli media reported this week that three delegations from Iraq visited Tel Aviv in 2018.