MOSCOW – Head of the Center for Geopolitical Studies of Russia believesthat disagreements between the Arab countries are so high that the UScannot implement the Arab NATO plan.

Leonid Ivashov, former chairman of the Department of InternationalCooperation of the Russian Defense Ministry, said in an interview with theIslamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) in Moscow that the United States ispursuing this plan to counter the influence of Iran in the Middle East,adding, ‘The US is trying to unite Middle East against Iran.”

He made the remark, ‘Arab NATO plan has been set up for this purpose, andjust a few Arab countries, with Saudi Arabia at their head, no country inthe region is willing to participate in the Arab Nato.’

‘Even the US Arab allies have also severe disagreement, for example, we arewitnessing serious tensions between Egypt and Saudi Arabia because each ofthese countries claim to be the leader of the Arab world,’ Ivashov said.

The head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Studies said that theMiddle East needs calm, adding that the US plans and interventions in theinternal affairs of the countries of the region inflamed the situation.

‘The United States has been pushing for tensions in the region to expandits presence in the Middle East, and the most important tool for achievingthis goal is a machination against Iran’s influence in the region,’ hesaid.

The Russian expert underlined the United States was pretending that Iran’smissile program was threat to meet its goals and urged the internationalcommunity to take a stand against Iran’s missile defense activities.

He reiterated, ‘The reality is something else, Iran’s missiles are notthreatening any country, and on the contrary, the United States withdeploying its missiles in Europe is escalating the tension.’

Russia’s geopolitical expert said that the withdrawal of the United Statesfrom the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty and possibly thedeployment of American missiles in some European countries is a real threatto global security.

According to Ivashchev, Iran is a major barrier to American domination inthe Middle East and opposes the presence of the United States in thisregion, especially in its neighboring countries.

He noted, “Experience has shown that tension, conflict and war occurwherever US troops are present, and examples can be found in countries likeIraq and Afghanistan.”

The Russian expert believes that the United States is responsible for thesituation in countries such as Yemen and Somalia, and given the state ofthese countries, Arab countries must worry about falling into America’strap. – APP/IRNA