US offers Gulf states "nuclear umbrella" against Iran: report

Sunni Gulf nations remain wary about the growing rapprochement between Shiite-dominated Iran and Washington

US Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, during a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers at Riyadh Air Base, on March 5, 2015 in the Saudi capital ( Evan Vucci (Pool/AFP) )"Evan Vucci (Pool/AFP)"

The United States is to offer Gulf Arab states a "nuclear umbrella" as protection against Iran, al-Hayat newspaper reported Thursday, as Washington seeks to reassure allies about its talks with Tehran on the Islamic republic's atomic program. The US has a nuclear umbrella set up with its key allies in Asia to protect against North Korea.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday briefed wary Gulf ministers about his latest nuclear talks with Iran as Washington and its regional allies seek to stabilize a troubled Middle East.
Kerry met at a Riyadh air base with foreign ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations.
Their agenda is also expected to include ways of reinforcing the battle against jihadists in Iraq and Syria.
Kerry arrived after talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Switzerland, aiming to seal a nuclear deal with Tehran ahead of a March 31 deadline.
Sunni Gulf nations remain wary about the growing rapprochement between Shiite-dominated Iran and Washington.
The Arab Sunni monarchies in the region are particularly worried by Shiite Iran's potential nuclear ambitions and Tehran's growing influence across the Middle East.
But Kerry sought to allay fears, saying Washington remained concerned about Iran's bid to spread its influence in the region.
"For all the objections that any country has to Iranian activities in the region -- and believe me, we have objections and others in the world have objections -- the first step is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," he told reporters Wednesday before leaving Switzerland.
Iran has provided military assistance to Syria to fight anti-regime forces and to Iraq for the battle against Sunni extremists.
It is also accused of backing Huthi Shiite militiamen who have seized the capital in Saudi Arabia's neighbor, Yemen, and paralyzed the Western-back government.
"Even as we negotiate, this in no way represents a broader warming of ties, lessening of concerns on our part," insisted Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.
"This is not about a broader rapprochement in any way. This is about the nuclear issue and that's it," she added.

US Secretary of State John Kerry attends a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers at Riyadh Air Base, on March 5, 2015 in the Saudi capital ( Evan Vucci (Pool/AFP) )"Evan Vucci (Pool/AFP)"

The so-called P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany is trying to strike an accord that would prevent Tehran -- Riyadh's regional rival -- from developing a nuclear bomb. Bilateral nuclear talks between Iran and the US are to pick up again on March 15, after chief diplomats concluded this week three days of talks in Switzerland.
In return, the West would ease punishing sanctions on Iran, which insists its nuclear program is purely civilian.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations belong to an international coalition brought together by the US to fight Sunni militants from the Islamic State (IS) group, which has captured a swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Riyadh launched air strikes against IS in September but a Western diplomatic source said the number of Saudi sorties is now "not as many as it has been before."
The kingdom has agreed to launch with the US a facility for training and equipping vetted members of the moderate armed opposition from Syria, under a long-planned effort to take on the IS militants.
The US military's top officer, General Martin Dempsey, told American lawmakers on Wednesday it was possible special operations forces could eventually be sent to Syria to back up American-trained rebels.
Washington was quick to stress though that Dempsey was talking about a "hypothetical" situation as moderate opposition forces have not yet been trained.
(AFP, DPA)