WhatsappSecretary of State Mike Pompeo’s sudden trip to Israel is being billed as a further push towards strengthening Israel’s cooperation and normalization with the Arab world, but it is much more.
With Hamas’ balloon war and rocket attacks increasing as Israel moves reinforcements south, Pompeo’s visit has much more to do with developing a coherent regional strategy in order to counter Iran.
Since the UAE-Israel peace deal Iran has been on a serious push to upend the new Middle East the Trump administration is trying to create. The Mullahs hope that either the prospects of war will help turn the rest of America against the President or by preventing the coalescing of the new Israel-Sunni coalition, Iran will be able to split the Sunni side in half.
This is exactly why countries that were expected sign onto the Abraham accord like Saudi Arabia and Morocco are now balking. They see that there is a confrontation brewing and with the US election up in the air, they are nervous about coming out swinging against Iran.
Pompeo’s job is now to reign in the Sunni states that are sitting on the fence. If he is successful it will be a major blow to Iran. If he is not successful then Iran will continue to press forward with its expansion unhindered.
