The Iranian regime is a threat to the security and stability in the Middle East and Gulf countries. The following is Al Arabiya’s interview with Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Saqr, head of the Gulf Research Center, December 9, 2016:
British Prime Minister, Theresa May, who participated in the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Manama, Bahrain, said in her speech that Iranian regime is a threat to the security and stability of the region.
In this regard, Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Saqr, head of the Gulf Research Center says: “Naturally, the position of the United Kingdom regarding Gulf states is not without the United States’ consent. But the most important point in Theresa may’s speech is admitting the fact that the regime in Iran is the main source of the threat to the security of the region. This is an issue that absolutely was not mentioned under President Obama. For this reason, the U.K. is trying to establish a military cooperation office between the UK and Gulf Arab states in the region.”
“Theresa May for the first time visited a military base in Bahrain since it was established in 1971. Also, President Trump had reminded the threat of Iranian regime. Today, we see that Theresa May clearly addresses this issue. So, all of these signs emphasize the importance of cooperation between the U.K. and the Arab countries in the Gulf in all fields,” he adds.
Now, with these words, it seems that the role of U.K. in the region is stronger than the United States because the U.S. is also involved in the East and South East Asia. What the British Prime Minister addressed in her speech was met with a warm welcome by Arab counties. This issue creates confidence among the Gulf Arab states that West may remain committed to its obligations in relation to the security in the region, because the position of Russia and its interference and also Iranian regime’s meddling in Syria is clear and well known to everybody. The importance of this issue is to the extent that King Salman also addressed it in his speech.