TEHRAN - A distinguished scholar believes that it is necessary that Iran and its Arab neighbors accelerate their talks as the United States is seeking to form a coalition between Israel and some Arab states against Iran.

Farhang Jahanpour, an emeritus professor who taught at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge for many years, made the suggestion as U.S. President Joe Biden is planning to visit the region on July 13-16.

During Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Arab leaders, including those ruling countries on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf, will be attending the meeting scheduled to be held in Jeddah.

Jahanpour says the U.S. also intends to give legitimacy to Israel’s “military role in the Arab world” and thereby facilitate forming a “strategic cooperation” against Iran.

“US is trying to form an Israeli-Arab alliance to militarise relations between ME neighbours & ‘further legitimize Israel’s military role in the Arab world and facilitate strategic cooperation against Iran.’ Iran & Arab neighbours must speed up peace talks,” Professor Jahanpour tweeted.

Through mediation by Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia have taken steps toward mending ties. Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi visited Iran on June 26 to deliver the Saudi message to Iran. He flew directly from Saudi Arabia to Tehran. It was after this visit that the Foreign Ministry said the message included the Saudi side’s readiness to upgrade the level of negotiations with Iran from security to diplomatic level.

The Iraqi prime minister also made a reciprocal visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, July 3, to send Iran’s messages to the Saudi leaders.

It was after meeting the Iraqi prime minister in Tehran that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic supports reopening the Saudi and Iranian embassies in the capitals of the two regional powerhouses.

Speaking on June 30, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein also announced Baghdad is also a host to separate bilateral talks between Iran and Egypt as well as Jordan.

Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian who had visited Syria on July 2 called Egypt an “important country in the world of Islam” and said an expansion of ties between Tehran and Cairo will “benefit the two nations”.

Amir Abdollahian also visited Abu Dhabi on May 16 to pay respect to the deceased UAE president Khalifa bin Zayed. While there, he met with the country’s new leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

After meeting the new president of the United Arab Emirates, the Iranian foreign minister said a new page has opened in relations between Iran and the UAE.

“A new page is opened in the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Emirates,” Amir Abdollahian tweeted in Persian. 

Amir Abdollahian also said good relations among neighbors will disappoint the adversaries.