GCC Stays Onboard with Iran Deal

by Thomas W. Lippman
Sherlock Holmes once found a clue in a dog that did not bark. That is a useful way to look at the muted but generally supportive response of Saudi Arabia and the other Arab States of the Gulf to the multinational agreement designed to restrain Iran’s nuclear program. They may not be happy with it, but there have been no howls of outrage or cries of betrayal. Unlike Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have decided to stay in the good graces of the only country that could actually protect them against Iran if the need arose.
Over the many months of negotiation that led to the announcement of the Iran pact on Tuesday, President Obama’s vociferous critics, listing the dire consequences they predicted would come from an agreement with Iran, included the likelihood that traditional U.S. allies in Gulf such as Saudi Arabia would break away from their security relationships with Washington and seek new partners. That outcome, the critics said, would undercut U.S. objectives in the region, such as defeating the Islamic State.
There seemed to be some substance to that criticism last month when Saudi Arabia’s youthful defense minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and other senior officials went to Moscow and signed weapons-purchase and other agreements with Russia.http://www.lobelog.com/gcc-stays-onboard-with-iran-deal/#more-30081