US's warning to Gulf allies from cooperation with China, Russia -

Washington: Relations with the US will deteriorate if Gulf allies establish defence cooperation with China and Russia. Colin Kahl, the Under Secretary of Defence at the Pentagon, warned that Gulf allies could lose US cooperation. Also, Kahl questioned the Gulf countries on how one could establish cooperation with countries that are friendly with Iran. Although not mentioned directly, it seems that senior Pentagon officials have given this warning addressed to countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.

The policies of the Biden administration create distrust among US allies. The criticism that the US was losing its friends and allies in the Gulf has been gaining momentum. Along with the Republican Party in the US, Biden’s Democratic Party has also been raising voices of opposition. After Biden started negotiations with Iran regarding the nuclear programme, resentment among Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Gulf countries began to increase. The results of this had come to the fore a few days ago.

Fuel prices in the international market were tight after the Russia-Ukraine conflict flared. After this, Biden called the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to demand an increase in fuel production. But the news had surfaced that the leaders of both countries rejected Biden’s call. At the same time, Saudi Arabia and UAE have started to increase their closeness with Russia. The wrong policies of the Biden administration had been blamed for the role of US allies in the Gulf. However, the Biden administration has denied the allegations and countered that the Gulf countries were responsible.

Pentagon’s Under Secretary Colin Kahl made this allegation while speaking at the Manama Dialogue held in Bahrain a few days ago. US security interests have been at stake due to the growing defence cooperation of the Gulf countries with China and Russia. Kahl warned that the Gulf countries might lose US cooperation in the coming days. At the same time, senior Pentagon officials have threatened that China and Russia cannot provide security to the Gulf countries.

China and Russia, both countries, have friendly relations with Iran. Russia has purchased drones from Iran in Ukraine’s conflict. Would China and Russia rush to protect the Gulf countries against Iran in such a situation? Kahl asked this question. Senior Pentagon officials avoided naming the Gulf state. But there were indications that the scope of the Pentagon’s warning has been from Israel to Gulf allies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which receives China’s assistance for infrastructure development.