US-Iran deal doesn’t mean full nuclear pact is next — but it shows Israel’s limits

https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-iran-deal-doesnt-mean-full-nuclear-pact-is-next-but-it-shows-israels-limits/

By Lazar Berman

The Qatari role is notable, Moran Zaga, an expert on the Gulf region at Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, told The Times of Israel.

“Qatar is Biden’s Cinderella,” she said. “Biden has decided to bet on Qatar as the Gulf state he trusts, as the state he invests his diplomatic energy in.”

Doha has emerged as a trusted mediator for the US since Biden came to power in 2021. It helped the US reach the Doha Agreement with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and has been working as a go-between for Washington and Tehran for most of Biden’s tenure.

Its importance as a supplier of liquefied natural gas has grown in the same period, as it replaces Russian supply to Europe.

In March 2022, Biden rewarded Doha by designating it a Major Non-NATO Ally, giving it increased access to US weapons and security cooperation.

Israel — along with regional partners Egypt and Bahrain, as well as Kuwait — enjoys the same status, though, notably, pro-Western Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates do not.

That fact is not particularly comfortable for Israel.

“We have an interest that the US pushes moderate states forward, in the Middle East and especially in the Gulf,” said Zaga, referring to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.