Kerry will head to Qatar to discuss Iran nuke deal
Secretary of state to meet with Gulf leaders to try to allay fears surrounding controversial agreement
US Secretary of State John Kerry is headed to Qatar next month to discuss the Iranian nuclear deal with Gulf leaders who have expressed reservations about the agreement.
Kerry will travel to Doha to meet with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The secretary of state will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the talks to discuss international efforts against the Islamic State.
“We will now have the ability to unify the Gulf world” on responses to Iran, Kerry said at a Council of Foreign Relations event in New York on Friday.
Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, have objected to the deal signed in Vienna last week, arguing that the agreement would increase Iran’s already growing influence in the region and embolden its divisive interference, including in Yemen.
The US has maintained that the deal was the only viable alternative to military action, with Kerry embarking on a fervent campaign at home and abroad to sell the deal.