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Arab nations express support for Iran nuclear agreement

 
The turnabout endorsement is a victory for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
The turnabout endorsement is a victory for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Published Aug. 4, 2015

DOHA, Qatar — Persian Gulf Arab states on Monday publicly endorsed the Iran nuclear deal during a visit by Secretary of State John Kerry, who said the United States would step up arms sales and intelligence-sharing to counter Iran's "destabilizing activities" in the region.

"This was the best option among other options — to come up with a solution … through dialogue" with Iran, said Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiya, speaking for the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, which he heads. "We are confident that all the efforts that have been exerted make this region very secure, very stable."

The unambiguous backing of the council countries could be helpful to the Obama administration as it tries to push the deal, reached in Vienna last month, through a skeptical Congress. Congress has 60 days to review the agreement and is expected to reject it, though not by enough votes to withstand a presidential veto.

The council support leaves Israel as the only country in the Middle East to vehemently oppose the agreement, which offers Iran sanctions relief in return for restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel maintains that the Obama administration should have negotiated a better deal, one that would end Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons, not merely delay it.

The endorsement by the council states — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — is a victory for Kerry. Previously, the foreign ministers of those Sunni states had expressed concerns about the deal.

The public turnabout suggests that the countries figure they are better off getting U.S. assistance to counter any rise in Iranian influence in the region.