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Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah and his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, represented their respective sides in the first meeting of the Iranian-Kuwaiti Higher Committee, which concluded Jan. 16.
What makes this meeting massively significant is its timing — it coincides with U.S. President George W. Bush’s visit to the region, during which he has been trying to get the Arab states to join an anti-Iranian coalition. At each stopover during his trip, Bush consistently has characterized Iran as a threat to the region.
Stratfor recently discussed how Washington is using the U.S.-Iranian naval encounter in the Strait of Hormuz to raise fears among the Arab states. The Arabs’ behavior, however, shows that they do not buy the idea. On the contrary, they are moving toward enhancing diplomatic ties with Iran. The talk of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-Iranian economic relations is procedural; such discussions are gestures and provide a means by which the two sides can deal with one another.
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