Why Pompeo is travelling to Middle East?

By Hanif Ghaffari

TEHRAN - American Secretary of States Mike Pompeo announced on Sunday that he will travel to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss the issues of western Asia. 

It seems that the intention behind this trip, like the previous trips of U.S. officials to Middle East, is to shake down Arab tycoons. In fact, Trump had recently said that Saudi Arabia must financially support U.S. actions and now Pompeo is making this trip to reap the benefits. 
In fact, with muddying the waters, U.S. is only trying to downplay his recent failures against Iran, especially after Iran downed U.S. super modern Global Hawk drone that had intruded into Iran’s airspace. 

Following the incident, Trump made a strange announcement saying that he wanted to retaliate, but he called off the attack against Iran just 10 minutes before it was to be launched. 

After this, the western media tried to start up a psychological warfare against Iran. First saying that Trump is ready to negotiate, and then repeated the false claims that they might return to nuclear deal. Amid all this tension, Trump once again sent a message to North Korea’s Supreme Leader, and now Pompeo’s trip to the Middle East is just another piece of this puzzle. 

Out of a general viewpoint, we can say that the followings are the main intentions of Pompeo with making this trip to Middle East: 

•    Announcing U.S. support for Saudi and UAE regimes to continue killing the innocent people of Yemen until they reach a big victory. 

Gaining more victories in Yemen has specially become important for Saudi-led coalition after Yemeni drones targeted Abha and Jizan airports in the south of Saudi Arabia. 

On the other hand, a rift has opened up between the two main pillars of Saudi-led coalition, Saudi Arabia and UAE because Saudi disagrees with UAE’s plans for dividing the northern and southern Yemen. 

•    Putting pressure on Arab countries to attend the Manama event where U.S. is planning to put forward the “deal of the century.” 

After massive protests of both Muslim and non-Muslims on Quds Day in different countries 

After thousands of both Muslims and non-Muslims took to the streets on Quds Day (May 31) in protest of the “deal of the century”, many countries stepped back from agreeing to this deal; which is according to many experts is a vague and unpractical plan. These events majorly hindered the project from going further. First, John Bolton, U.S. National Security Advisor tried to stop the failure of this deal by making a trip to occupied Palestine and now Pompeo is making a trip to pressure their allies among Arab countries to attend the Manama meeting as it is among the most important events arranged to facilitate the deal of the century. 

•    Fuelling Iranophobia among Arab countries.

White House has failed in carrying out many of his projects against Iran over the last two years; this has seriously undermined U.S. foreign policy; so, now, U.S. is trying to make them afraid of Iran and incite them into violent reactions. 

•    Diverting the attention out of the successful results of “active resistance” of Iranians in reaction to U.S. unilaterally leaving the nuclear agreement with Iran. 

After United Nations Security Council passed a resolution for step by step suspension of Iran’s commitment to the nuclear deal, U.S. plans for pressuring Iran into having new round negotiations were thwarted. 

Many experts believe that this would change the game in favor of Iran. So, it seems that one of Pompoe’s intentions in making this trip is to divert the public attention out of the mistakes of warmongers in White House. 

In general, Pompeo’s trip to Middle East is indeed not a sign of U.S. power and control over the region; on the contrary, it reveals U.S. failed plans and strategies in the region and especially in dealing with Iran.  

Anyway, the course of the events is showing that this trip will bring no achievement for neither U.S. nor ignorant tycoons of Middle East because Iran will never succumb to oppression and Yemen will never end its resistance against the usurpers. The deal of century has no influence over the changes in Middle East, especially now that all the evidences show that the Manama meeting is going to be a humiliating failure.