US in ‘Panic’ as Gulf States Threaten to Ditch Washington for Own Security Pact
The White House is scrambling to keep Gulf allies from forming their own independent security alliance, a move that would shatter American influence in the region and undermine the Abraham Accords.
The United States is racing to finalize a delicate agreement with Iran, but a new threat has emerged from its own allies. Independent journalist and analyst Borzou Daraghai told FRANCE 24 that Washington is in a state of “panic” over the possibility that Gulf countries may create a separate security arrangement without the United States [180919]. Such a move would directly weaken the Abraham Accords—the U.S.-brokered deals that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states—and reduce American leverage across the Middle East [180919].
This internal crisis unfolds as the United States and Iran begin a new round of direct negotiations in Switzerland, aimed at finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17 [178553][178544]. Both sides have a 60-day deadline to resolve key issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program and its uranium stockpiles [178553]. However, the talks face growing uncertainty as fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in southern Lebanon continues to escalate [178544][177633].
Iran has now declared that the conflict in Lebanon will be the “main topic” of the talks, a shift that threatens to delay progress on the nuclear deal [178553]. The memorandum of understanding includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, under which Hezbollah would be protected from Israeli strikes in exchange for stopping its attacks on Israel [177633]. But the ongoing violence puts this fragile agreement at risk [177633]. Hezbollah, a powerful group backed by Iran, is involved in heavy fighting near the border, and Israel has refused to withdraw from the territory [178544][178553].
Meanwhile, Beijing’s top diplomat stated that the Palestinian issue remains the core of the Middle East conflict, adding that a potential U.S.-Iran agreement aligns with Iran’s long-term interests [180986].
The situation has forced Secretary of State Marco Rubio to assure Gulf allies that Washington will protect their interests as it pushes for a final settlement [180919]. But with Gulf nations considering going alone, the U.S. now faces pressure to keep its allies close while negotiating with Iran, all without losing its role as the region’s key security guarantor [180919].