Biden’s first visit to the Middle East will address regional challenges

US President Joe Biden this month is making his first visit to the Middle East since taking office 18 months ago.

His agenda includes meetings in Saudi Arabia with the leaders of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, and with those of Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, in which they will discuss Iran’s threatening activities in the region.

In this context, talks to revive the nuclear treaty with Iran are faltering and oil prices remain high.

There has been quite a bit of regional diplomatic activity between the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt before Biden’s visit. There has also been talk of a possible NATO-like alliance for the Middle East for greater cooperation and security between Arab states and Israel to counter Iran’s influence.

Jordan’s King Abdullah said he considers his country a NATO “partner” because it has worked closely with the alliance and its troops have fought “side by side” with NATO forces in the past.

Analyst Amer Al Sabaileh of the Stimson Center in Washington told the voice of america that Saudi Arabia wants to see content to Iran.

“The Saudis do not want to see a nuclear deal with Iran again without their presence being taken into account,” Al Sabaileh explained, adding that Riyadh has long been concerned about “Iran’s aggressive and hostile policies in the region and the Tehran’s ballistic capability.

Kim Ghattas, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said at an event that there are many tensions with Iran and wonders if a nuclear deal is possible.

“There is a lot of regional coordination between the US and Israel, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Egypt and Jordan to try to contain a rise in tensions with Iran,” Ghattas said.

According to her, “Iran is cornered. He receives no money (for) sanctions and has seen US allies in the region and former enemies (such as Saudi Arabia and the Emirates) get closer in public or in private. We are seeing a kind of regional movement that allows (the cornering of Iran, even if there is no nuclear agreement).

Another analyst, Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International, noted that while “oil is clearly a strategic geopolitical catalyst” for Biden’s trip, he doesn’t see a big change in crude production anytime soon.

“Around oil, the administration has tried to bring together other US interests: resuming a functional relationship with Saudi Arabia, promoting the expansion of the Abraham Accords, perhaps a Persian Gulf air defense system that includes Israel, and the prospect of steps moderate efforts to expand Saudi-Israeli relations,” he added.

Miller said the United States wants to change the perception that it is withdrawing from the Middle East.

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