Israel, Egypt, and Other Four Arab Countries Form Anti-Iran Alliance

From the left, Abdullatif Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain; Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt; Yair Lapid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel; Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State; Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco; Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE
Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] As the possibility of restoring the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) arises, a new anti-Iran coalition is forming in the Middle East.

According to Bloomberg on the 28th (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken attended a forum held in the Negev, Israel, at the invitation of Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Foreign ministers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Egypt, and Morocco also participated in the forum.

Foreign Minister Lapid stated at a joint press conference, "This meeting represents a new regional organization to deter the common enemy, Iran, and forces acting on its behalf," adding, "This meeting will be sustained permanently."

Secretary Blinken also said they would work together to address common threats such as Iran. He mentioned that they would cooperate to alleviate the concerns of allied countries regarding the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal.

The Arab countries joining Israel in the anti-Iran coalition are confronting Iran, the Shia leader, as well as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, the armed faction Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip of Palestine. Therefore, they express concerns that if the Iran nuclear deal is restored, they could be exposed to risks of terrorism or armed conflict, and that Iran might pursue nuclear armament.

Israel and the UAE, traditional U.S. allies, have demanded that the U.S. establish new security strategies such as missile defense systems and intelligence sharing in the event of the Iran nuclear deal's restoration. On the 22nd, the leaders of Israel, the UAE, and Egypt gathered at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh to explore response measures following the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal.

Israel was the first in the Middle East to sign a peace agreement with Egypt in 1979. In 2020, Israel normalized relations by signing the Abraham Accords with the UAE and Bahrain, mediated by the U.S., and Morocco later joined the accords.

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