Arab League chief warns against Iran conflict, defends US-led Gaza plan

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that military action against Iran would be a 'disaster,' while defending Arab support for a US-led Gaza peace board as a pragmatic step to end the conflict, during a talk in New Delhi.

Warning on Iran, Defense of Gaza Plan

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit cautioned that any military action against Iran could trigger far-reaching instability across West Asia and beyond, while also defending Arab nations' backing of a US-led Board of Peace on Gaza as a pragmatic effort to end the ongoing conflict. Speaking on Friday at a public interaction hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs and moderated by former diplomat Talmiz Ahmad, Aboul Gheit outlined the Arab League's broader regional position, saying Gulf countries have consistently rejected military escalation and favoured diplomatic solutions.

Elaborating on the risks of a potential confrontation, he said, "If such an event happens, it will be negative for the region and for everyone else," adding, "It will be a disaster for the peace of the world." He was responding to a question on US President Donald Trump's announcement that a naval armada had been sent to the Gulf, a move that has fuelled concerns of possible military action against Tehran.

US Presence and Policy Shifts

Placing the development in historical context, Aboul Gheit downplayed the significance of the deployment, noting that the US Fifth Fleet has been stationed in Bahrain since 1995 and that American forces have maintained a presence in the region since 1945. "The presence of the American troops in the Gulf, Bahrain, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean is not a new development," he said, stressing that what has shifted is "the politics and policies" in Washington.

Questioning the credibility of recent American statements, the former Egyptian foreign minister added, "I am not taken in by [the] declarations of Americans."

He continued, "Yes, they want to settle from that point of view, thinking that Iran is a nuclear country."

Pragmatic Approach to Gaza Peace

Turning to Gaza, Aboul Gheit said Arab states supported Trump's Board of Peace initiative, as it marked the first instance of Washington calling for a ceasefire after former President Joe Biden vetoed four UN Security Council resolutions seeking to halt the fighting.

Explaining the background to that decision, he said, "We have had a president in Washington who admitted that he was a Zionist himself. He supported Israel directly as a Zionist," referring to Biden. "Four times there have been calls in the Security Council and draft resolutions presented calling for a ceasefire in Palestine, and the American administration at the time vetoed them all."

Against this backdrop, most Gulf Arab nations endorsed the Board of Peace last week in Davos, despite scepticism surrounding its framework. Several European countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden, have declined, citing concerns that the mechanism could weaken the United Nations.

Unresolved Issues and Israeli Opposition

Defending Arab participation despite these reservations, Aboul Gheit said, "When I heard for the first time that the American president himself, in person, was committing himself to lead a council or a board to supervise a settlement, well, welcome!" He added, "Between someone who was saying, 'I am the strongest adviser and supporter to Israel, I am a Zionist' and a president who says 'I am for peace and for the ending of the killing and ending the conflict', if we are logical, we have to try." At the same time, he acknowledged unresolved issues surrounding the Board of Peace, including financing, oversight, its relationship with the United Nations and the absence of the Palestinian Authority from its executive committee, stating, "How the implementation will proceed remains to be seen."

Addressing Israel's opposition to Palestinian statehood, Aboul Gheit said occupying powers rarely concede political rights voluntarily. "An occupying power will never tell you, 'Yes, sir, you are permitted to do so,'" he said, drawing parallels with colonial-era governance.

A New Cold War and Global Instability

Linking regional tensions to wider global shifts, the Arab League chief also warned of growing international instability, asserting that the world had already entered a new Cold War. "I claim that we are in the midst of a Cold War," he said, arguing that the American empire was in decline and attempting to reverse that trajectory.

Reflecting on historical patterns, Aboul Gheit added, "There is no way for a new order to emerge without war," citing precedents such as the creation of the United Nations following the Second World War.

When asked how the current turbulence might be resolved, he said, "In all honesty, I don't know. The situation is very fluid."

India-Arab Relations

Earlier in the day, Aboul Gheit met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi. In a post on X, Jaishankar said the two held a "warm" meeting and exchanged views on "recent developments in the region".

Touching on bilateral ties, Aboul Gheit expressed optimism about India-Arab relations, highlighting India's progress and the large Indian workforce across Gulf countries. "The Arabs understand the potential of India," he said, while noting that bilateral momentum had slowed in recent years. Aboul Gheit is in New Delhi to attend the second Arab-India foreign ministers' meeting, taking place today after a decade-long gap. He also inaugurated the Arab-Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)