TEHRAN – Assistant professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at Quaid-i-Azam University, says efforts by U.S. President Joe Biden to create a rapprochement between Arab states and Israel will meet a number of challenges as the public in the Arab world is angry of Washington’s unwavering support for Israel in its occupation of Palestinian lands.

“While some of the Kings and Sheikhs are pro-American, the Arab societies are rapidly developing anti-American sentiments,” Syed Qandil Abbas tells the Tehran Times.

Professor Abbas also believes that Biden’s visit to West Asia “has put the halted negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program into further jeopardy.”

Following is the text of the interview:

Q: What are the implications of Biden's trip to West Asia? Is the U.S. going to establish a new order in the region?

“Iran’s alliances in the region are not on the basis of temporary interests but rather anti-imperialist ideological like-mindedness.”A: The recent geopolitical and geostrategic changes on the international level are impacting the regional dynamics as well. The continued resistance of the Western world against the Russian attack on Ukraine has led President Biden to focus on regional policies by establishing an understanding with the traditional allies. Such impact can be seen in the light of the recent trip of President Biden to the Middle East (West Asia). The whole purpose of the trip broadly revolves around the Russian-Ukraine issue and extending support for Israel while countering Iranian growing influence in the region. In order to counter these two challenges, Joe Biden wants to bring its traditional Arab allies closer which lost consensus among them and with the United States during the past few years. 
At the regional level, two blocs are emerging. One is led by Israel and the other is led by Iran while Arabs are gradually losing their regional political identity. The U.S. wants to bring Arab allies within the ambit of the Israeli bloc while Iran is aligning itself with China and Russia. This regional alignment can be regarded as the establishment of a new regional order which will be unstable and vulnerable. Biden’s visit has put the halted negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program into further jeopardy. The other international powers like China and Russia will increase their role by putting their support behind Iran in order to counter the U.S. 

Q: While in Saudi Arabia Biden said America would not "walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran”. However, his predecessor Trump was planning to withdraw U.S. forces from West Asia. What is your take?

A: Trump’s decision to withdraw forces from the Middle East (West Asia) was a sign of relief for the region. If Biden decides to re-militarize the region it will negatively impact regional security and stability. Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in order to exercise the “doctrine of maximum pressure” against Iran by re-imposing the sanctions and withdrawing its forces. His policy was to contain Iran through harsh sanctions. President Biden on the other hand is showing a change in policy through his recent visit by adopting “alternative means” of pressure against Iran. As the nuclear negotiations did not show any positive results, the U.S. is now moving towards pressuring Iran through militarizing the region and enabling its Arab allies to stand against Iran and its allies. Even though in the past, the U.S. experienced that it could not achieve its goals through the use of military power. While Iran and Russia have already proved in the case of Syria that they can maintain regional peace and security. China has also offered a strategic deal of $400 billion to Iran, making Iran a regional power in the Middle East (West Asia).  

Q: Do you think Biden can create a meaningful rapprochement between Arab states and Israel? 

“Forming a NATO-like alliance against Iran would depend on how willing Arab states are to put their security to risk by becoming hostile to Iran. A: Biden’s efforts to make a rapprochement between Arab states and Israel will meet a number of challenges. The first and the foremost challenge to these efforts would be the emerging gap between the states and the societies in the region. The Arab states are non-democratic and are ruled by monarchies. The people are given little say in determining the political course of their states. This has created distance between society and the states. While some of the Kings and Sheikhs are pro-American, the Arab societies are rapidly developing anti-American sentiments. For decades, the people in the Arab world protested against the U.S.-led Zionist expansion in the region and illegally occupying the land of the Palestinian people. The developed mindset and beliefs of these people cannot be changed. If the sentiments of the population are not given importance then a situation like Arab Spring can re-emerge where monarchies, kings and dynasties will once again see the rise of mass movements. 

Q: What are the fallouts of Biden's meeting with Bin Salman? Do you think the U.S. president has legitimized MBS by visiting Riyadh?

A: The relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States deteriorated as the name of the Saudi Crown Prince became associated with the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Biden in his election campaign in 2019 vowed to never meet the MBS and clearly stated that he believed that the journalist was murdered by the order of Bin Salman. However, recent worldwide pressures like the energy crisis have led Biden to retract his early statements and meet Bin Salman. Moreover, it was important for the U.S. to mend relations with Saudi Arabia because of its perceived threats from Iran as well as China and Russia. However the legitimacy of MBS is still under question and even Western media is criticizing his brutal policies, particularly against his political opponents and Shia human rights activists.   

Q: Iran has succeeded to establish alliances in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Yemen. Do you think Saudi Arabia would be able to unite Arab States to form an Arab NATO against Iran?

A: Iran’s alliance with both governmental and non-governmental entities in the region is as old as the Revolution itself. This is because Iran’s alliances in the region are not on the basis of temporary interests but rather anti-imperialist ideological like-mindedness. The non-governmental movements in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Bahrain, and Yemen show that the people in these countries share ideological similarities with Iran. The Arab states which are closer to the U.S. and Saudi Arabia had been their traditional allies but over a period of time, they got dispersed in terms of differences in their interests. Forming a NATO-like alliance against Iran would depend on how willing these Arab states are to put their security to risk by becoming hostile to Iran.