DPG West Asia Review
China has been showing greater interest in the geopolitics of West Asia. On July 6, 2020, China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) held its 9th ministerial meeting via video conferencing. The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Hussein Abdullah Al-Safadi, and attended by foreign ministers or ministerial-level officials of all member states of the Arab League including Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. China proposed closer cooperation in the following areas: i) Strengthening cooperation and unity to defeat Covid-19, ii) Firm support and joint defence of fairness and justice (China thanked Arab states for support on Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, iii) Uphold multilateralism and improve global governance, iv) Advance BRI cooperation and join hands in pursuing national rejuvenation, v) Promote political dialogue for the security of the Middle East.
In a major regional development Iran and China have finalized $400 billion “Strategic Accord” which will expand military cooperation (weapons development and intelligence sharing) in return China will get discounted oil for the next 25 years. This document is yet to be approved by the Iranian parliament. Meanwhile, Iran has been rocked by a series of blasts in the past few weeks. On July 10, 2020, a blast occurred in Western Tehran resulting in power failures in two residential areas. As per Iranian assessment, these appear to be the handiwork of Israeli intelligence.
On July 06, 2020, Israel launched Ofek-16 satellite that will provide surveillance and military intelligence to the Israeli Defence Forces and is likely to be used for monitoring nuclear activities of Iran.
The US CENTCOM Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie met the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to request for maintaining some US forces in the country, for continuing their joint fight against the ISIS. This request comes in the wake of upcoming bilateral dialogue over the future of US troops in Iraq. In other major news from Iraq, analyst Al-Hashemi an expert on ISIS and Al-Qaeda activities was assassinated outside his home on July 06, 2020. He had recently shifted his focus on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
The UK which suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year following a London court ruling regarding violation of international human rights in the on-going war in Yemen, reportedly resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia. On the economic front, Saudi Arabia presented six-point business plan to revive the global economy as the President of G-20.
On July 10, 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued an executive decree changing the status of Hagia Sophia museum to a mosque. The United States, Vatican and Russian Orthodox Church have strongly criticised this decision.
