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Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-899829
Gulf States Hesitant to Fund Iran Reconstruction
(Jerusalem Post) Danielle Greyman-Kennard - Gulf states will likely be reluctant to contribute to Iran's reconstruction after months of unprovoked attacks, regional experts told the Jerusalem Post on Thursday. Vice President JD Vance told CBS that Iran could receive a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by Gulf states. Bahraini analyst Dr. Ahmed Alkhuzaie said that while Gulf states were likely relieved by the "tactical pause," there is fear that the financial terms of the Iran agreement would allow it to further destabilize the region. The release of frozen Iranian funds and the lifting of sanctions could "empower Tehran's regional networks of militias and proxies, reinforcing the very threats the MoU was meant to contain," he explained. It would free resources for Iran to invest in its militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen "that directly threaten Gulf security." While Gulf leaders "welcome the ceasefire and reopening of Hormuz, they fear the agreement may empower Iran rather than restrain it." After suffering months of attacks from Iran, the American commitment raises "the uncomfortable question of whether Gulf states would indirectly contribute to rebuilding the very adversary that targeted their infrastructure." Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain all feel that the fund "risks rewarding aggression and undermining deterrence." Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told Al Arabiya on Wednesday that trust in Iran would need to be rebuilt before financial investments could be addressed. Oman and Qatar would also "struggle to justify Gulf financial participation when public opinion remains raw from the damage inflicted on energy facilities, ports, and civilian infrastructure." "For Gulf states that have suffered direct attacks, the idea of channeling funds into Iran's reconstruction is not only politically implausible, but economically irrational, as it would expose investors to heightened risks while strengthening a state still perceived as a strategic adversary."