President Donald Trump meets with Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and members of his delegation, Tuesday, March 14, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
Diplomats speaking with the Financial Times said Saudi Arabia has been discussing developing a mutual defense pact among Gulf Arab states and Iran.
Two Western diplomats told FT that the framework for the pact would resemble the 1970s Helsinki Process. The 1975 agreement reduced tensions in Europe by increasing trade.
The proposal from Riyadh comes as Gulf Arab states are rethinking their alliances amid the war against Iran. President Donald Trump did not consult US allies in the region other than Israel before attacking Iran.
Iran responded to the surprise US and Israeli attack by attacking US allies across the region. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain have suffered thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
During the first five weeks of the war, Arab states expressed frustration with a lack of missile defense from the US.
The Gulf states have also lost access to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran seized control of the waterway, the only entry and exit to the Persian Gulf. About 20% of the world’s oil supply transits the Strait. Many Gulf Arab states rely on oil revenue.
