Despite Iran Deal: US Sparks Arms Race in Persian Gulf

[unhappycamper]

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940504001094



US Secretary of State John Kerry is "absolutely convinced" that the nuclear deal with Iran has reduced the chances of an arms race in the Middle East. He couldn't be more wrong.

Despite Iran Deal: US Sparks Arms Race in Persian Gulf
Sun Jul 26, 2015 9:32

At a time when Tehran is trying hard to thwart arms race in the region, all the Persian Gulf states are arming to the teeth, under the illusion that an emboldened Iran will sow trouble. In addition, the opportunist US government is “calming” Persian Gulf allies’ concerns about Iran by providing billions in weapons from US arms contractors.

In a way, the nuclear deal is doing what it is intended to do: Acting as an economic stimulus for Western arms companies - particularly those in the US - as regional rivals bolster their military forces.

It’s interesting to note that the arms race is heating up in the region even though tensions between Iran and its Arab neighbors haven’t heightened yet. Their appetite for newer and better weapons is boosting sales for US arms companies like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamic, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon.

In recent months the US has cut deals for more than $16 billion in military hardware with Israel and Persian Gulf allies, who claim that more than $100 billion in unfrozen Iranian assets and an improved Iranian economy will fuel aggression in the region. The threat perception is strange, because according to Iranian officials, the government has already spent much of that money!