Al-Araby al-Jadid, Londong January 17
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently returned from the Middle East without having achieved the purpose of his trip. In his effort to confront Iran, Pompeo ran into many issues along the way: with the Kurds, the Syrians, the Iraqis, the Israelis, the Emiratis and the Turks. But despite facing these unexpected challenges, as well as continuously reacting to the whims of his president, Pompeo still got a lot done. He managed to put together a large coalition of states that have committed to further isolating Tehran and increasing the pressure on its regime. The goal of the American effort is to now grow this coalition from a few dozen countries to over 70 nations. While the Iranians believe this will not happen since most countries have already rejected the initiative, Pompeo is determined to prove the mullahs wrong. This should certainly provide reason for concern, since even the European Union, Iran’s staunchest defender, has started questioning Tehran’s ability to uphold the [2015 nuclear] deal. This has become even more apparent after Pompeo revealed Tehran’s plots to assassinate Iranian political dissidents on European soil. Next month, the United States is set to host a global conference focused on Iran in Poland, bringing together representatives from all over Europe in an effort to reach a common stance. This will undoubtedly promote Pompeo’s campaign and tighten the noose around the mullahs’ necks. Unfortunately, Pompeo’s biggest challenge remains in the Gulf, where internal disputes prevent leaders from rallying around America and adopting a joint stance on Iran. This is rather unfortunate. The biggest beneficiaries of renewed pressure on Tehran would be the Gulf states, where Iran’s involvement has caused widespread instability. Pompeo might thus have to return to the region before the conference takes place to continue his shuttle diplomacy. With a bit of effort and acts of good faith, the United States can once and for all isolate Iran in the international arena and force it to abandon its sinister military plans. –Adel Suleiman