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Iran in crosshairs at US-led talks in Poland
WARSAW, Feb 14, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The United States and Israel will lead a
new push to pressure Iran at a conference on Thursday in Warsaw which is as
notable for its absences as its attendees.
US Vice President Mike Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
are both set to address the 60-nation gathering on Valentine’s Day, which
will promote a US-led vision of the world that includes no love for Iran.
But most major European nations sent only low-level officials, alarmed at
President Donald Trump’s bellicose tone on Iran.
And Russian President Vladimir Putin has managed to divert the spotlight by
holding a simultaneous summit in the resort of Sochi with Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the future of
war-battered Syria.
Also casting a cloud over the Warsaw talks, a suicide car bombing in
southeastern Iran on Wednesday killed 27 troops of the elite Revolutionary
Guards who were returning from patrol, according to the force.
Iran quickly linked the attack to the Warsaw conference, where supporters
of the formerly armed opposition plan a second day of protests on Thursday.
Dubbing the meeting in Poland the “WarsawCircus”, Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was “no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror
on the very day” the talks began.
But an extremist group from the Sunni Muslim minority claimed
responsibility for the attack in the volatile southeastern Baluchistan region
bordering Pakistan.
Sunni militants were also held responsible for a major assault on a
military parade in southwestern Iran in September.
The latest violence — and the conference — come just as the Shiite
clerical regime was celebrating 40 years since the Islamic revolution that
overthrew the pro-US shah.
– Growing US pressure on Iran –
Iran has been comparatively stable in a turbulent region in recent years.
But President Donald Trump has boasted of growing unrest and economic
insecurities after he slapped on biting sanctions.
MORE/FI/ 1208 hrs
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Trump walked away from what he called a “terrible” 2015 deal negotiated by
his predecessor Barack Obama in which Iran constrained its nuclear programme
in return for sanctions relief.
The European Union has defied Trump by not only backing the accord, with
which UN inspectors say Iran is complying, but setting up a financial tool
for European firms to skirt US sanctions and keep doing business in the
Middle East’s second most populous country.
Even Poland — always eager to please the United States as it fears a
resurgent Russia — has gone to pains to say that it still backs the
agreement alongside other European members.
Poland and the United States toned down the conference to a vague goal of
seeking stability in the Middle East without specifically mentioning Iran.
Netanyahu has been unflinching in his criticism of Iran’s leaders, who do
not recognise Israel’s right to exist.
One result of Netanyahu’s campaign has been to put him into an unofficial
coalition with Israel’s longtime Arab adversaries that also dislike Iran.
Netanyahu tweeted a photo of himself meeting in Warsaw with Oman’s foreign
minister, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, calling it a “revolution in Israel’s
foreign relations!”
The Israeli leader paid a rare visit last year to the Gulf sultanate, which
has no official ties with Israel but has sought smooth relations with powers
across the region, including Iran.
– Guarded hopes on Yemen –
The sole senior official from a major European power to attend is British
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said he wanted to focus on ending the
crisis in Yemen.
Several million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation and the country has
suffered one of the worst cholera outbreaks in modern times, as Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates — backed by the United States — seek to bomb
and blockade Iranian-linked Huthi rebels into surrender.
Hunt — whose country is also a major arms supplier to Riyadh — met
Tuesday evening in Warsaw jointly with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and
senior officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In a joint statement, the four countries said they hoped to expand on a
seven-week ceasefire that has largely held in the crucial port city of
Hodeida but accused the Huthis of presenting obstacles.
The ministers agreed that there is a window of opportunity to end the
conflict in Yemen and to redouble their efforts to reach a political
solution,” they said.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1206 hrs