On June 25, a day before the US, Lebanon, and Israel announced a trilateral agreement, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan met Asaad al-Shaibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the President of the UAE, said he sees the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel as a step to restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty.
This was an important meeting. The UAE and other Gulf states are encouraged by signs of stability in Syria. They are also hopeful the new agreement in Lebanon can help pave way for more stability in the region.
The Gulf states continued over the last several days of June 27-29 to face threats from Iran. As such they hope that Lebanon and some other areas in the region can turn toward peace, so that the issue of the Gulf might also be resolved.
Why do they see a connection? First, because Iran sees a connection. Also they know that peace and stability are like dominoes. If one can begin in one place, it’s possible it has lessons for other areas. The US is keenly engaged on these various fronts and the UAE is a friend of the US and of Israel.
Al-Ain media in the UAE noted that "the meeting also touched on a number of regional issues and topics of common interest, most notably the developments taking place in the Middle East region.”
Bahrain condemns new Iranian attacks
Meanwhile, Bahrain condemned the “flagrant violation” of new Iranian attacks. This shows how two Abraham Accord countries are both looking north and east. North to Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, as well as toward Iran.
Gargash, a key figure in the UAE, has written about the framework with Lebanon. On X/Twitter he wrote that “the Lebanese have suffered for decades from the repercussions of others’ conflicts on their land, and have paid a heavy price as a result of those conflicts.” He argued that was important to return sovereignty to Lebanon as a key to stability and the future.
“The agreement has ambitious goals, including ending the existing conflict between them, ensuring the sovereignty and security of both countries, and establishing peaceful neighborly relations between Israel and Lebanon,” Al-Ain media noted.
“Under this framework, Israel and Lebanon declare their intention to resolve their conflict permanently, address its root causes, and formally end any state of war between them. This framework, reached after several rounds of direct negotiations between the parties, builds upon previous successful agreements and understandings and expresses a determination to make irreversible progress toward a comprehensive resolution of all outstanding issues between the two countries. The two countries affirm their commitment to resolving these issues as two sovereign states through direct bilateral negotiations, mediated and supported by the United States,” the report added.
Saudi Arabia, Lebanon maintain close ties
Meanwhile, it’s worth noting Saudi Arabia’s role. Saudi Arabia and Lebanon have maintained close political, economic, and cultural ties for decades, although the relationship has fluctuated with regional politics. Saudi Arabia was a major supporter of Lebanon's reconstruction following the 1975 to 1990 civil war and played a central role in brokering the 1989 Taif Agreement, which helped end the conflict and reshaped Lebanon's political system.
Riyadh has long backed Lebanon's Sunni political leadership, particularly the Hariri family, while providing financial assistance and investment. It will be keenly interested also.