‘Arab NATO’: Trump Pursuing Regional Alliance to Confront Iran

Note to readers: please click the share buttons above  

The Trump administration is reportedly developing plans for a new security and political alliance with six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, in a bid to unite against Iran’s increasing presence in the region, according to Reuters.

Washington is trying to strengthen cooperation between the countries on various fronts including missile defence, military training and counter-terrorism, as well as boosting regional economic and diplomatic ties, four US and Arab officials told the news agency.

The plan to create what Washington and Arab officials have dubbed an “Arab NATO” of allied Sunni Muslim countries is expected to threaten already frosty relations between the US and Iran, who have clashed frequently since President Donald Trump took office.

According to White House sources, the Trump team’s intention is for the plan, provisionally named the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), to be addressed at a Washington summit between the eight Arab nations in question scheduled for October.

The White House confirmed its plans for the security alliance had been ongoing for several months.

“MESA will serve as a bulwark against Iranian aggression, terrorism, extremism, and will bring stability to the Middle East,” a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council said.

The US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE strongly accuse Iran of destabilising the region, through generating unrest in conflict-stricken Arab countries through proxy groups.

How the NATO-style alliance could immediately affect Tehran is unknown, however Washington and its Sunni Muslim allies have shared interest s in the conflicts in Yemen and Syria, in addition to protecting Gulf shipping lanes along which much of the global oil supplies are transported.

Some also believe that the alliance may help overcome the Gulf crisis and foster reconciliation between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.


150115 Long War Cover hi-res finalv2 copy3.jpg

The Globalization of War: America’s “Long War” against Humanity

Michel Chossudovsky

The “globalization of war” is a hegemonic project. Major military and covert intelligence operations are being undertaken simultaneously in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and the Far East. The U.S. military agenda combines both major theater operations as well as covert actions geared towards destabilizing sovereign states.

ISBN Number: 978-0-9737147-6-0
Year: 2015
Pages: 240 Pages

List Price: $22.95

Special Price: $15.00

Click here to order.


Articles by: The New Arab

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. The Centre of Research on Globalization grants permission to cross-post Global Research articles on community internet sites as long the source and copyright are acknowledged together with a hyperlink to the original Global Research article. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: [email protected]

www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner.

For media inquiries: [email protected]