Reflections on Zarif's Visit to Arab Countries in the Region

Iran's efforts to reassure regional countries following the nuclear agreement is a description that most Arab media outlets have given to the trip of Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, to several Arab countries in the region, which began in Kuwait. After the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group, the Arab countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council each welcomed this agreement in separate statements and messages with varying tones. However, a common 'hope' among all these statements and messages was that the agreement would assist efforts to create stability and security in the region. The statement from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to Zarif's trip to Kuwait, Qatar, and Iraq has not gone unnoticed by Arab media. In this statement, Tehran emphasized its support for its allies in Iraq and Syria in the fight against the 'ISIS' group. Iran's support for its 'allies' has been a contentious issue in some Arab countries in recent days, particularly following remarks by Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during Eid al-Fitr. The Iranian leader stated regarding the nuclear agreement: 'Whether the text prepared is approved after going through the legal process in the country or not, the Iranian nation will not abandon its support for the oppressed people of Palestine, Yemen, Bahrain, and the nations and governments of Syria and Iraq, and the true fighters of Lebanon and Palestine.' These remarks sparked protests, including in Bahrain, where its Foreign Minister condemned 'any Iranian interference in Bahrain's internal affairs.' He accused Tehran of 'spreading hostile positions, launching misleading media attacks, and smuggling explosives, weapons, and ammunition to Bahrain, in addition to establishing camps for training terrorists.' Regional Dialogue with Iran Reports from Arab media regarding Zarif's trip have focused on his remarks about Iran's policies in the region following the nuclear agreement, an issue that has drawn the concerned attention of some Arab countries. In recent days, several media outlets in their analyses have spoken about Iran's increased revenues following the lifting of sanctions and consequently, the increase in its assistance to allied groups in the region. The Lebanese newspaper As-Safir noted Zarif's 'reassuring tone' during his meeting with Kuwaiti officials, where he emphasized the priority of 'fighting terrorism,' 'setting aside differences,' and 'Tehran's readiness to open its doors to all countries in the region.' While the official Kuwaiti news agency did not publish any official quotes from Kuwaiti officials who met with Zarif, the Kuwaiti site Al-Ahd reported that Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah, the Foreign Minister of Kuwait, emphasized in bilateral talks the country's desire for 'comprehensive cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.' According to this report, Al-Sabah added that 'all countries in the region agree on the necessity of starting a comprehensive regional dialogue with Iran as soon as possible,' as Iran is 'an important and influential country in the region.' The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister continued, 'While we have dialogue and interaction with many countries and regional and international organizations on various issues, why shouldn't we have such dialogue and cooperation with Iran?' Repeating the Experience of Negotiations with the P5+1 Al-Jazeera news network also reported, citing Kuwaiti sources, that Zarif requested Kuwait's assistance in bringing together the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman) with Iran to improve relations. This report added that Iran seeks to repeat the experience of negotiations with the P5+1, which led to the nuclear agreement, with the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The foreign ministers of Iran and Kuwait did not hold a joint press conference. However, Zarif held a press conference at the Iranian embassy, which had varied reflections. Among his remarks, he emphasized the necessity of 'changing the policies of some countries that are on the path of tension and war,' which has led to interpretations. The newspapers As-Safir and Al-Hurra reported that Mr. Zarif's remarks were directed at Saudi Arabia. The Al-Arabiya news network described Zarif's remarks as a 'threat to some neighboring countries.' Zarif: Join Iran in the Fight Against Terrorism Zarif's second stop was Qatar, where he met and discussed with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country. Al-Jazeera reported that Zarif informed the Emir of Qatar about the details of the nuclear agreement. He also called for the countries in the region to join Iran in the 'fight against terrorism.' The official Qatar news agency also reported that Zarif delivered a letter from Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and discussed with him bilateral relations, ways to develop them, and regional developments. According to this report, Zarif emphasized during this meeting that Iran would continue to provide its assistance to combat 'terrorism and extremism in the region.' He also had a separate meeting with his Qatari counterpart in Doha. The newspaper Al-Hayat reported on its website that prior to Zarif's trip to Qatar, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, unexpectedly traveled to Doha and discussed with Qatari officials 'bilateral relations and ways to develop them and some issues of mutual concern, especially in light of recent regional and international developments.' This newspaper considered Al-Jubeir's trip to Qatar, occurring just hours before Zarif's visit, to be of 'double significance' and added: 'Observers say that the main goal of Zarif's regional trip is to reassure the Gulf countries about the consequences of the Iran-P5+1 agreement... as Gulf countries are concerned that the nuclear agreement will encourage Iranians to increase their interventions in the region, interventions that are currently taking place in countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq.' In any case, after visiting two member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Zarif went to Iraq. Prior to this trip, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, tweeted that 'the Iran nuclear agreement and security' would be at the top of Zarif's discussions with Iraqi officials.