Arms deal with Arab states part of Iranophobia plot

TEHRAN,April 30(MNA)--Jordan’s recent decision to open two airspace corridors to Israeli planes and drones has some implications for the current situation in the Middle East. The decision was reportedly made after Jordan’s King Abdullah failed in his efforts to start negotiations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. At first glance, Amman’s latest move may just be viewed as a green light to the Israeli military to use its airspace against Syria. However, there is more to the picture than that. Israel’s geographical proximity to Syria through the Golan Heights makes it easy for hawks in the occupied territories to target Syrian cities, as has repeatedly been the case over the years. Moreover, Jordan and Israel have enjoyed stable official relations for many years, and thus the fact that Israel gained access to Jordan’s airspace should not be regarded as a surprise. Bearing all this in mind, it can be said that Jordan’s recent decision could mean that the kingdom is seeking to adopt a new position toward the crisis in Syria and is in fact moving closer to the anti-Syria front. The deal reportedly came at the behest of U.S. President Barack Obama, who pressed the Jordanian king to give Israel access to its airspace. Over the past few months, Jordan has also allowed the U.S. to expand its military presence along the Jordan-Syria border. Concurrent with this issue, the United States has hammered out a multi-billion-dollar arms deal with Israel and some key Arab allies in the Persian Gulf region. The simultaneous sale of arms to Arab states and Israel has always been one of Washington’s main policies, which has allowed it to maintain an arms race in the region. However, this time the focus is more on Iran, and the crisis in Syria has given Washington the opportunity to step up the implementation of its Iranophobia policy. Through such deals, the U.S. hopes to persuade Arab states in the region to distance themselves from the resistance front and its major components, such as Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah. Mohammad Irani formerly served as Iran’s ambassador to Jordan and Lebanon and is an expert in Middle Eastern studies based in Tehran. (By Mohammad Irani)