Why It Matters:
The meeting between Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, and Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, underscores that a single and decisive voice must be heard from the Islamic world in support of Palestine. Arab and Islamic countries support the serious movement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to confront the joint plan of the U.S. and the Israeli regime to dislocate Palestinians from Gaza.
The big picture:
Arab states were shocked by Trump's plan to "remove" Palestinians from Gaza and resettle the majority in Jordan and Egypt, a proposal that was quickly rejected by Cairo and Amman and widely viewed across the region as highly destabilizing.
What he's saying:
Araghchi highlighted the importance of maintaining dialogue: "There must be a unified, firm voice from the Islamic world in support of Palestinian rights." He also praised the Gulf Cooperation Council’s condemnation of the Israeli plan and the support from Arab and Islamic countries in opposing the U.S.-Israeli joint plan to eliminate Palestine.
Key points:
- Iran's top diplomat believes that Iran and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council need to negotiate and cooperate.
- Araghchi condemned the Israeli Prime Minister's statements regarding a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia and lauded Gulf Arab countries' stance on the forced displacement of Palestinians.
- The two sides discussed areas of mutual interest, including regional and international issues.
Go Deeper:
The meeting between Araghchi and Al-Budaiwi highlights the ongoing efforts of Iran and Arab Gulf states to strengthen their regional cooperation and align on the Palestinian cause. This dialogue could help pave the way for a more unified response from the Islamic world against Israeli and U.S. policies that threaten Palestinian sovereignty.
Ashkan Salehian
