​​​​​​​Arab press: Secret calls between Tel Aviv, Moscow about Syria, establishment of new Arab block 

On Wednesday, Arab press touched upon the Syrian file and the Russian-Israeli mediation in a humanitarian issue, in addition to tripartite Arab coordination, as well as the Iranian file.

'Israel is confidential discussing a humanitarian issue related to Syria mediated by Russia'

The beginning is from the Syrian issue, and in this context, Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper published about communication between Tel Aviv and Moscow regarding a humanitarian issue related to Syria, and said: “The Israeli government discussed this evening (Tuesday) in a “emergency security” session, a “humanitarian issue” related to Syria, it has already been discussed between Tel Aviv and Moscow. "

The newspaper pointed out that the ministers were invited on the same day, and they were asked not to make statements about the content of the talks, while the military censorship imposed a blackout on the meeting, which lasted about an hour, and was held via a group video call, and not via the Zoom platform for security reasons, and the censorship allowed the publication of that Israel and Russia discussed aiding Syria in a humanitarian cause.

Before that, Barak Rafid, the Hebrew Channel 13 correspondent, said that the urgent meeting, which was not planned, discussed a humanitarian issue related to Syria.

Israel had intensified its consultations with Russia in recent days, and it was said that Tel Aviv was the one that requested Russia's assistance in this matter.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz called Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, and contacts followed between Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Gantz’s office announced that it discussed with the Russian Minister of Defense “humanitarian issues in the region,” and they agreed to “continue important consultations, with the aim of ensuring the security of their forces and the need to activate humanitarian efforts in the region.”

The meeting came in light of foreign reports that Russian forces searched a cemetery in Damascus for the remains of Israeli soldiers, but "Channel 12" military affairs analyst Ronnie Daniel said that the government talks focused on "the Israeli approach to Russia with a request for assistance in a humanitarian issue related to Syria." "It is not related to the recovery of the remains of the Israeli spy Eli Cohen, or the remains of two Israeli soldiers who were killed in the Battle of Sultan Yaqoub in 1982," adding: "Russia is mediating with the Syrian regime to settle a humanitarian issue."

'Expected moves to strengthen the Egyptian-Jordanian-Iraqi bloc'

In another context, Al-Bayan newspaper discussed in its issue issued today, the formation of three Arab countries for a single front, and indicated that there is a "remarkable diplomatic move between the leaderships in Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, accompanied by a clear desire on their part for mutual coordination in economic and political terms," These countries, for years, presented several perceptions that shed light on the importance and necessity of cooperation.

A month ago, Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr al-Khasawneh went to Baghdad, bearing with him the determination to complete what was agreed upon regarding the economic city project and trade exchange between the two countries and the launch of the oil pipeline project linking Basra with Aqaba, in addition to his visit to Cairo, and the meeting of the economic committees of the three countries continues.

Jordanian analysts confirm that the coming weeks will witness more meetings and movements to discuss the economic file between them, and that this bloc not only stands on the economic side but also on the political one, as these countries will play an important role in the region.

For his part, says political analyst d. Zaid al-Nawaisseh told Al-Bayan newspaper: The tripartite cooperation between Jordan, Iraq and Egypt started at the beginning from the importance of restoring the presence of Arab Iraq that has been exhausted by war and targeting from the forces of terrorism and turning it into an arena for regional conflicts, adding and in "my assessment that Jordan has always been keen to restore Iraq's role as a country centrally, which coincided with the Iraqi and Egyptian desires that began two years ago, interspersed with three summits at the level of leadership and political coordination that started from the importance of the sovereignty and unity of Iraqi lands, and then expanded to coordinate the development of economic cooperation.

Al-Nawaisa continued, saying: “The tripartite meeting seeks to establish a new form of Arab cooperation based on the idea of ​​investing the relative potential of each country and employing it to serve the three Arab countries with the possibility of expanding this entity, which cannot be considered a new axis as much as it is a rational and realistic formula based on unity. The common interests and respects the political and domestic privacy of each of the three countries.

Al-Nawaisseh favored more tripartite coordination in terms of economic cooperation and trade exchange, and it seems that the moves of the Jordanian Prime Minister, who visited Baghdad and Cairo in less than two weeks, and the delegations visiting Amman give the impression that work on many files is progressing at a rapid pace, in preparation for the next summit that it is expected to host. Baghdad after the tripartite summit held last August.

'Shia militia missiles test the Biden administration's capabilities to fight Iran in Iraq'

For its part, Al-Arab newspaper touched on the missile targeting of US forces in Başûr Kurdistan, and said: “Iran, which is engaged in an open struggle for influence in Iraq and its militias, is denouncing its hostility to the US forces present on Iraqi lands and vowing to "expel them” using various methods and means available. The primary interest in disturbing the comfort of the US military presence in the Kurdistan region, and preventing the latter from turning into a safe haven for US forces withdrawing from several bases in separate parts of Iraq.

The finger of accusation was directed at Iran and its pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, in carrying out the unprecedented missile attack on Hewler airport in the Kurdistan region, considering Tehran is the primary interest in preventing the stationing of more American forces in the region and turning its territories into a central center for the US military presence, after reducing The number of those forces in other Iraqi regions.

On Tuesday, a group calling itself the "Awliya al-Dam Brigades" claimed responsibility for the attack, which, according to data from the International Coalition against ISIS led by the United States, left one dead and nine wounded, one of them an American soldier.

The percentage of the attack to an unknown group came in the implementation of a method used during the previous months in adopting many of the attacks on the coalition supply convoys that were attributed to groups such as the "League of Revolutionaries", "The Cave Companions" and "The Mahdi's Fist", which according to several Iraqi sources is just Fake names are hidden behind groups closely related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, particularly Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

An Iraqi Kurdish source, who asked not to be identified, said that Iran is using pro-Iranian groups to disturb the comfort of US forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, in an attempt to prevent the establishment of a continuous US military presence with US forces present in the Kurdish areas in neighboring Syria, which will allow the United States to monitor the movements of loyalist groups to Iran between the two countries and restricted.

For its part, Iran has disavowed the attack, which it described as “suspicious”, considering that linking its name to it is a “condemnation attempt.” Said Khatib Zadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said that his country considers “the security and stability of Iraq as a major issue for the region. and that it is against any move that would lead to it.” Destabilizing system and stability in Iraq. "

The US military reduced the number of its forces in Iraq to less than 2,500 individuals and withdrew from several bases there over the past two years, and security and military experts say that the presence of US forces in bases such as the Harir base in Başûr Kurdistan gives them greater capabilities to prevent attacks by pro-Iranian groups. The military post from Hewler Airport is one of the three remaining bases that house a large number of American forces.

For his part, Mustafa al-Kazemi, who is facing difficulties in curbing the incursion of Shiite groups and controlling their weapons, said that the attack that targeted the Kurdistan region “aims to create chaos and shuffle the cards."

T/S

ANHA