Saudi Weighs Postwar Middle East Non-Aggression Pact With Iran, FT Reports

Saudi Arabia has been consulting with allies on a postwar non-aggression pact between Iran and Middle Eastern states under which both sides would refrain from attacks, the Financial Times reported.

The initiative is meant to manage regional security tensions through a formal framework, reflecting the view that Iran would remain a threat even after the war ends.

Citing Western diplomats, the FT reported on May 14 that Saudi Arabia is studying the Helsinki Accords of the 1970s as a possible model.

The 1975 accord brought together the US, European countries, the Soviet Union and its allies. It addressed security issues while expanding economic cooperation between rival blocs.

Middle Eastern countries believe Iran would continue to pose a threat to its neighbors even if the war leaves it weakened. There is particular concern about dealing with an Iranian Islamic regime that could turn more hardline at home after suffering wartime damage.

That has prompted discussion of various ways to stabilize the postwar regional order. Major European countries and the European Union are said to view the Saudi proposal favorably and to be urging other Gulf states to join.

Diplomats say a framework that prevents renewed conflict and assures Iran it will not be attacked could offer a practical solution.

Still, some criticism has emerged that US-Iran discussions on ending the war are centered on Tehran's nuclear program and do not sufficiently address the Arab world's main concerns.

Iran's missile and drone capabilities, along with its support for proxy forces across the region, are among the issues Arab states are most sensitive to. But those matters are not central to the current negotiations, according to the report.

One Arab diplomat said a non-aggression pact modeled on the Helsinki Accords could be acceptable not only to many Arab states but also to Iran, which has long sought less Western involvement in the Middle East.

It remains unclear whether Israel and the United Arab Emirates would take part. The FT said Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Gulf's two most influential powers, have differed in the past, and the UAE has taken the hardest line against Iran during this war.

Oh Se-seong, Hankyung.com reporter, sesung@hankyung.com