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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s go to coincides with a flurry of different diplomatic conferences within the area, together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s go to to ally Qatar and a go to by a high-ranking safety official from the United Arab Emirates to Iran. Confirmed by Saudi and Omani media, the tour additionally comes forward of an upcoming annual six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council assembly of rulers this month.
The tour will take Prince Mohammed to the UAE, the place a rivalry has heated up for enterprise amid diverging overseas insurance policies between the normal allies, in addition to Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, in accordance with diplomats who spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity to debate tour particulars.
The diplomats mentioned the tour goals to eradicate geopolitical variations and improve cooperation and coordination among the many six Gulf Arab nations, notably in dealing successfully with Iran’s nuclear program and regional ambitions.
Whereas relations among the many GCC are underpinned by cultural, non secular and tribal ties, they’ve extensively completely different overseas coverage stances on Iran. Oman, Kuwait and Qatar have all maintained relations with Iran, whereas Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have seen tensions spike and actively work to curtail Iran’s attain within the area.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, nonetheless, have held direct talks with Iran aimed toward easing tensions. Gulf Arab states are involved over a notion that the US is more and more disengaging from the Mideast to deal with threats from China and Russia. They level to the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as the newest instance.
The diplomats instructed the AP that Prince Mohammed’s conferences with Arab rulers will stress the significance of self-reliance among the many GCC. The dominion and UAE are investing in homegrown protection industries and more and more seeking to nations equivalent to France, Russia and China for army {hardware}, although the U.S. stays the highest arms and protection provider within the area.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Israel oppose the 2015 Iran nuclear settlement, which has been on life assist because the U.S. pulled out of the deal beneath then-President Donald Trump and imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
Prince Mohammed can even be looking for larger assist for a decision to the yearslong conflict in Yemen, the diplomats mentioned. Saudi forces, regardless of accelerated airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and elsewhere in latest weeks, haven’t managed to considerably push again the nation’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
In July, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq made Saudi Arabia his first cease since taking energy final yr. Saudi Arabia, a world oil heavyweight, is the most important and probably the most populous Arab nation within the GCC, and the most important economic system within the Center East.
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