Iran's Rouhani denounces US' Middle East Ignorance

It’s with considerable interest that I watch President Trump’s tour of the Middle East, predominantly Saudi Arabia and Israel, the two strongest allies of the US in the region.

These two countries might be different when it comes to religion but they are opposed to the same thing- Iran- and it is that common ground that binds them together.

 Saudi Arabia loves Trump, as does the UAE, where I spent time again recently. While Trump has business dealings in Dubai, with Damac, a large real estate developer, he also has close ties with Saudi Arabia. The arms deal signed with the largest Muslim state in the region is worth $110 billion, which mean that war in the region will go on and on. It is in the US interests to ensure that it does.

 Of course, the Gulf Arabs love Trump mainly because of his anti-Iran rhetoric. An it is that religious divide- Shia Muslims in Iran and Sunni Muslims in the Gulf Arab countries which will ensure friction in the region is ongoing. That difference is somewhat similar to the hatred between the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.

 This problem proved to be a largely intractable, despite the Peace Accord. Will the Israelis and Palestinians ever get that far? In Trump’s world, yes. But in reality, probably not.

 At the same time, the Gulf Arab states do expel extremists, or fundamentalist Arabs. The extent to which these states hate the Muslim Brotherhood, the UAE and Saudi Arabia in particular, is a case in point. As such they expel these people, leaving the problem to the US and the UK, to where they flee.

 Here’s Rouhani’s take on Trump’s recent tour.

 

From Al Jazeera: “Iran’s Rouhani denounces US’s Middle East ignorance”.

 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help, responding to criticism from US President Donald Trump who is visiting the region.

Trump called for a US alliance with Muslim countries aimed at fighting "terrorism", singling out Iran as a major source of funding and support for armed groups in the Arab world.

Rouhani, a pragmatist who won last week's presidential election, hit back hard by dismissing the summit as a "ceremonial [event] that had no political value and will bear no results".

"Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran?" he said at a news conference.

At a weekend summit in Riyadh, Trump accused Iran of funding and arming "terrorists, militias and other extremist groups" in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and backing President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war.

Rouhani, who fronted Tehran's deal with six major powers in 2015 to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, said the US administration lacked knowledge about the Middle East.

"Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all... We are waiting for the new US administration to find stability and continuity in its policies," Rouhani said.

"The problem is that the Americans do not know our region and those who advise US officials are misleading them."

Rouhani said Iran was the vital force behind the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and repeated Iran's official stance that the United States and Saudi Arabia are funding "terrorism" in the Middle East.

"Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Russia. But who funded the terrorists? Those who fund terrorists cannot claim they are fighting against them," he said.

Tehran and Riyadh are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.

Fragile diplomacy

Already fragile diplomatic and trade ties between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran were severed last year, after Saudi Arabia executed a Shia cleric and as a result protesters ransacked the Saudi embassy in Iran.

"Buying arms or building weapons won't make a country powerful. Military power is only a part of strength and we are fully aware of that. But the foundation of power is national strength and this only happens through elections," Rouhani said.

"Maybe it will help if Saudi leaders let their people to decide over their country's fate by casting their vote... It will make them [rulers] stronger."

He said Iran welcomed better relations with its regional neighbours and pledged to fulfill his campaign promises of opening Iran to the world and delivering freedoms to the Iranian people.

"The Iranian people voted for moderation as they know a prosperous economy and jobs can only happen through investment, and investment through freedom and interaction with the world," he said.

Rouhani's efforts to open up Iran to less hostile relations with the West still have to be couched in the rhetoric of anti-Americanism that has been a pillar of Iranian rule since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Iran's most powerful authority - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - has ruled out normalisation of ties with the United States.

Iran's economy has slowly recovered since the lifting of sanctions last year but deals with Western investors are few and far between as foreign investors are cautious about trading with or investing in Iran, fearing penalties from remaining unilateral US sanctions.

Washington last week imposed new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile programme.

"The Iranian nation has decided to be powerful. Our missiles are for peace and for defence... American officials should know that whenever we need to technically test a missile, we will do so and will not wait for their permission," Rouhani said.

"America's dream on ending Iran's missile programme will never come true."