The progress in the US-Iranian talks on the nuclear issue has caused great concern in the region and the Gulf States in particular. Israel is also showing signs of alarm especially that these countries had previously expressed fears regarding Tehran's efforts to acquire a nuclear bomb. Many international policy experts have suggested that the reason behind this progress and the agreement on many points of the Iranian nuclear file is the U.S. administration's desire to resolve regional issues, in Iraq and Syria, as well as the growing influence of the Islamic State (IS). U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry has held a series of meetings in the Saudi Arabia capital of Riyadh March 5 with his counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The meetings dealt with pressing issues in the region, most notably the conflict in Syria, the war against IS, the Yemeni crisis and Iran's nuclear program. Kerry said that the U.S. administration top priority is to fight and defeat IS, adding that the achievement of a political transition in Syria may require the exercise of military pressure on the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's government, as Kerry sees that Al Assad has committed unspeakable war crimes and accused him of poisoning his people and killing thousands. With regard to negotiations concerning the Iranian nuclear program, Kerry stressed that he had made progress in talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif, with the aim of reaching an initial nuclear deal by the end of this month. He explained that the international community would take action if the Islamic Republic didn't take a positive attitude in this regard, and stressed that his country will not turn a blind eye to Iran's activities in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Kerry's comments regarding the crisis in Yemen lean towards a peaceful solution. He said that a political solution and a consensus in this country lie in the involvement of the Houthis (Iranian backed Shiite) in the dialogue based on the GCC's initiative and the results of the national dialogue. Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud Al Faisal said in a statement, that his country supports the position of the P5+1 group regarding preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Kerry assured the GCC Foreign ministers on the agreement, which the P5+1 seeks to reach with Iran and that any agreement with the Islamic Republic won't affect the interests of the Gulf States nor the stability in the region. On the other hand, Iran recently offered its participation in the international coalition to fight IS, in exchange for reaching a certain understanding concerning its nuclear program, but the United States officially rejected the offer. However, many American newspapers including the New York Times, noted that the Shiite alternative was a viable one and conducive to a more peaceful U.S. presence in the Middle East, especially after the dreadful effects that hit the West as a result of the instability in Sunni states (September 11, Charlie Hebdo, etc.) In the meantime, various U.S. media outlets said that Iran had conducted air raids targeting IS posts and that Iran had released an American journalist who was arrested years ago; without any introductions or justification for this release, except to prove good will. Will the coming years witness an Iranian-Western honeymoon?
