Hong Kong China News Agency, August 17 — The U.S.-Iran conflict has been ongoing for nearly half a year, and prolonged negotiations have yet to yield results. On the 16th, U.S. media, citing sources, reported that discontent among Gulf states toward the United States is steadily increasing, and some countries have begun discussing whether to continue allowing the U.S. to maintain military bases on their territory.

On April 30, 2019, Iranian soldiers patrolled the Strait of Hormuz. 

The Washington Post reported on the 16th that some Gulf states believe they are paying the price for the war initiated by U.S. President Trump, while also expressing concern over his perceived lack of diplomatic capability to negotiate a peace agreement with Iran. Their anger toward the United States has reached its highest level since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iraq conflict.

The report also cited European officials as saying that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan recently signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, sending a signal to the United States that the three countries no longer rely solely on the U.S. but are committed to diversifying their security partnerships.

Anna Jacobs, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, stated that since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iraq War, Gulf states’ “level of trust in the United States has declined,” and they believe that U.S. actions in the region have “made them less secure rather than more secure.”

On the same day, Trump posted a statement on social media welcoming the three countries’ signing of a joint defense agreement, stating that this signifies a strengthening of unity in the Middle East and that the nations will be able to safeguard their security in a more practical and effective manner.

The trilateral agreement was signed on August 7, just as the flames of the U.S.-Iran war were spreading across the Middle East. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stated that the agreement means an attack on any member state will be regarded as an attack on all member states, “aiming to strengthen collective deterrence.”

The agreement also states, “We jointly commit to further strengthening collective security and promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond.”

The three countries also pledged to work together to promote the resolution of the U.S.-Iran conflict.