Attended by over sixty countries but widely neglected by key EU nations, a controversial US-led meeting on Iran opens up in Warsaw, raising doubts that European allies will dance to Washington’s tune when dealing with Tehran. A summit to promote “peace and security in the Middle East” is officially set to seek ways of making the boiling region a safer place, but its primary focus is expected to be on Iran. The meeting gathered a host of Gulf monarchs and other arch-foes of Tehran, including Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Also on rt.com Israel and Arab nations discuss 'common interests of war with Iran' - Netanyahu However, Washington’s key European allies, including France, Germany, and, for the moment, the UK, have downplayed the importance of the offbeat meeting. Jeremy Hunt, the British Foreign Secretary, was in Warsaw to chair a Quad meeting on Yemen but not to take part in the Iran summit. France has sent a second-tier diplomat and Germany its junior Foreign Minister. Another notable absentee was Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign affairs chief, who helped broker the historic 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Meanwhile, European press was largely critical of the event, with the Guardian running an op-ed piece saying it shows “just how far [Trump] is from the rest of the West.” Is it no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day that #WarsawCircus begins? Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 13, 2019 As Iran, Russia & Turkey ready a summit in Sochi to work for peace in Syria & UN Court rejects US excuses & readies to rule on US theft of Iranian people’s assets, flip-flopping Trump officials try to hide their perpetual lawlessness & global isolation behind a charade in Warsaw. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 13, 2019 “What about the Warsaw summit, I think it’s dead on arrival or dead before arrival,” commented Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister. “It’s another attempt by the United States to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well-founded,” he stated. Watch more: to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.<doc-sep>WARSAW, Poland – Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took the White House's aggressive anti-Iran message to a U.S.-sponsored meeting in Poland on peace and security in the Middle East that concluded Thursday. Pence used his address to the conference in Poland's capital of Warsaw to demand that European countries withdraw from the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that President Donald Trump's administration has already abandoned. He urged U.S. allies to back Washington's sanctions on Iran, re-imposed after Trump exited the 2015 accord last year. Long-standing U.S. allies in Europe favor staying in the deal and have sought ways to keep open trade and financial dealings with Iran. Disagreement over the issue is what partly led to Germany, France and other major U.S. allies not sending their top diplomats to the summit in Poland. "The authoritarian regime in Tehran represses the freedom of speech and assembly, persecutes religious minorities, brutalizes women, executes gays and openly advocates the destruction of the State of Israel," said Pence. "Iran endlessly spews hatred against Israel, our most cherished ally." Pompeo said that the Middle East "can’t achieve peace and security" in that region without first "confronting Iran." But precisely how far the U.S. is willing to take this confrontation or details of its strategy for keeping Iran in check remain wholly unclear. The U.S. officials spoke as foreign ministers and delegates from more than 60 countries gathered in Warsaw for the summit. However, the conference has drawn rebuke for honing in on Iran while ignoring and downplaying other regional actors. The topics under discussion included Israeli-Palestinian peace, conflicts in Syria and Yemen, and the turbulent issue of Iran. However, neither Pence nor Pompeo mentioned Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional foe, and a close U.S. ally with a poor human rights record and whose bombing campaign in Yemen has created the world's worst humanitarian disaster. Saudi Arabia has admitted killing The Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside its Istanbul consulate. "It's a very simple equation for me. I'm about make America great again and I'm about America first," Trump said in December in reply to repeated suggestions from media, rights watchdogs and lawmakers that he should be doing more to hold the Saudis accountable. The House easily approved a measure Wednesday that would force the Trump administration to end its military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. More:In rebuke to Trump, House approves measure to force U.S. Yemen withdrawal Pompeo insisted in Warsaw that "pushing back" against Iran was central to dealing with all the region’s problems, a characterization that will do little to overturn perceptions the Trump administration is determined to see regime-change in Tehran, although Washington has consistently denied it is actively pursuing this course. The Trump administration accuses Iran of a range of destabilizing activities ranging from support for Shia militant groups in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen to the development of a ballistic missiles program. Washington does not believe that Iran has stopped enriching uranium for its nuclear weapons program despite repeated confirmation from international inspectors that it is abiding by the nuclear accord's terms. "It's not just a compliance issue," said Pence. "It's that the (Iran) deal was no good." "Iran is a country you can't rely on, do business with, can't trust," Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, told USA TODAY on the sidelines of a rally in Warsaw organized by an exiled Iranian opposition group. The former New York mayor is not taking part in the summit, but his views reflect those of many in Trump's inner circle, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has long advocated for an aggressive Iran approach. More:Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani's side project: Bashing Iran, in Poland More:Jared Kushner will try to sell Middle East peace plan to U.S. allies amid skepticism, scant details "An uncontrolled and unintended collapse of the Iranian regime will further destabilize the Middle East and further push back the hopes and aspirations of the Iranian people for democracy and freedom," Pooya Dayanim, an expert on Iran, wrote in a blog post this week for the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. "However, Iranians revolted forty years ago and didn’t get the regime they were hoping for. If the Iranian people are to suffer through more sanctions or are to risk life and limb, they need to know why they are doing so and what future awaits them," he wrote, referring to persistent suggestions from Iran hawks in Trump's inner circle that Iran's government is one major protest away from collapsing. On Monday, Iran marked 40 years of its Islamic Republic. Tehran has denounced the conference as an American anti-Iran "circus." Russia and China are not attending and Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, is also skipping the event. Several high-profile Arab dignitaries are in Poland for the event, but Palestinians – not present – have called for it to be boycotted. Pompeo's comments echoed saber-rattling remarks by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who drew scrutiny on Wednesday when he made clear the conference is centered on Iran despite the far broader published agenda. "It is a conference that unites the United States, Israel, many countries in the world, many countries in the region, Arab countries, against Iran’s aggressive policy, its aggression, its desire to conquer the Middle East and destroy Israel," he told reporters. In an interview with reporters on a Warsaw street, Netanyahu also appeared to say "war" with Iran was a common goal of the summit's participants. Netanyahu used the Hebrew word "milchama," or "war," in his comments. His office later changed its translation and said he was referring to a "common interest of combatting Iran." Israel is Iran's arch-enemy and Netanyahu has long advocated for a confrontational approach to Iran. However, he has stopped short of calling for war. Senior White House aide Jared Kushner, who is also in Warsaw, said Thursday that details of the Israel-Palestinian peace plan that he has been working on for months would be released after Israel holds elections in early April. Brook Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran at the State Department, told reporters here that "many of the things we are asking Iran to stop doing are the same things the people of Iran want it to stop doing: investing in foreign adventurism." In his closing remarks to the media, Pompeo said that in his discussions with delegates over two days in Poland not a "single defender" of Iran emerged. "Not from Europe, not from Asia, not from the Middle East."<doc-sep>Some are dismissing it as a mere “photo op”, a chance to show the ideologically motivated benefactors of Donald Trump’s administration that it is doing something to counter Iran. Others, notably conservatives in Washington, say the high-profile but still murky two-day Middle East summit of foreign ministers in Warsaw beginning Wednesday is an historic event, bringing together Arab and Israeli officials in the beginnings of a regional coalition against the Islamic Republic. US officials say representatives of 60 countries including dozens of foreign ministers will attend. “We are going to gather up to talk about the future of Middle East stability and prosperity,” US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, one of the organisers of the summit, said Tuesday night. “We’ll talk about the Middle East peace plan, we’ll talk about ... Counterterrorism, we’ll talk about how these countries can work together. This is a global coalition that is built to deliver on the important mission of reducing the risk that has emanated from the Middle East for far too long.” The conference is sure to spark controversy. On Wednesday, Mr Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani called for immediate regime change in Iran during a speech in the Eastern European city. “Within a few years a free Iran will be one of the leading nations in the world,” he told a cheering crowd of supporters from the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organisation, a cult-like Iranian opposition group. “We are going to have the celebration sooner rather than later in Tehran and I want to be there with you.” European officials, especially those from France and Germany, are livid about the conference, which they see not only as an attempt to ratchet up pressure on Tehran, but to hoodwink member states into appearing to lend support to a hardline White House agenda shaped by freelancers such as Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who will also attend the summit. “There has been a big push by the Europeans to dilute the Iran element of the summit so it doesn’t seem they’re joining up for ed from the Middle East for far too long.” The conference is sure to spark controversy. On Wednesday, Mr Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani called for immediate regime change in Iran during a speech in the Eastern European city. “Within a few years a free Iran will be one of the leading nations in the world,” he told a cheering crowd of supporters from the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organisation, a cult-like Iranian opposition group. “We are going to have the celebration sooner rather than later in Tehran and I want to be there with you.” Revolution in Iran: In pictures Show all 11 1 /11 Revolution in Iran: In pictures Revolution in Iran: In pictures A demonstration against the Shah in 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Armed women on guard in one of the main squares in Tehran at the beginning of the Iranian Revolution Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators hold a poster of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in January 1979, in Tehran, during a demonstration against the Shah AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Iranian rebels pose with a U.S. flag they bayonetted upside down on trees at Sultanabad Garrison northeast of Tehran on February 12 2019 AP Revolution in Iran: In pictures A gun battle in Khorramshahr during the revolution, 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah among tear gas. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Women wearing the traditional Chador demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah on September 7 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Demonstrators in Tehran calling for the replacement of the Shah of Iran during the Iranian Revolution, 1979. They carry placards depicting Ayatollah Mahmoud Talaghani, one of the leading revolutionaries Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters demonstrate in the streets of Tehran against the Shah. The "black friday" caused the death of 200 people according to the Iranian government, 2000 according to the opposition, September 8 1978 AFP/Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures Thousands of the Ayatollah Khomeini's supporters on the streets of Tehran calling for the religious leader's return in January 1979 Getty Revolution in Iran: In pictures The Iranian Islamic Republic Army demonstrates in solidarity with people in the street during the Iranian revolution. They are carrying posters of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian religious and political leader Getty European officials, especially those from France and Germany, are livid about the conference, which they see not only as an attempt to ratchet up pressure on Tehran, but to hoodwink member states into appearing to lend support to a hardline White House agenda shaped by freelancers such as Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who will also attend the summit. “There has been a big push by the Europeans to dilute the Iran element of the summit so it doesn’t seem they’re joining up for this maximum pressure bandwagon,” Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy head of the Middle East programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said. “They’ve been pushing for adding how to deal with the Yemen ceasefire or peace-building in Syria. They push hard to make it far less about Iran and more about the Middle East.” But in addition to the various criss-crossing conflicts in the Middle East and what many describe as the Trump administration’s bumbling way of handling them, the Warsaw conference intersects with at least two other festering crises on the global agenda: fears of Russian expansion into Eastern Europe, and tensions within the EU amid the rise of right-wing populism. ✕ Iran marks 40 years of the Islamic Republic Poland risked alienating both its EU partners and Iran by agreeing to host the summit, in part to win support in Washington for a permanent military base in the country – in a bid to fend off any potential Kremlin advances. “This conference is a gamble,” said Robert Czulda, a professor of Middle East studies at the University of Lodz. “For Poland, Russia is still a threat. This is the most important dimension of our foreign policy. The main ambition of the Polish government is to have US bases like Germany has US bases.” The conference also comes at a time of deep divisions within EU over a number of major issues, including the right-wing populist drift of some member states, including Poland and Hungary. EU officials are said to be enraged that the Trump administration, which has sought to widen divisions within the bloc, is seeking to peel off some member states like Poland by getting it to downgrade its ties with Brussels. “The Americans are trying to break up Europe,” fumed one European diplomat. Mr Pompeo first promoted the conference last month as a way to curtail Iran’s influence in the region, but US officials later sought to water down the Iranian focus of the gathering, dropping the word “Iran” from the name of the confab and rebranding it a summit to promote “peace”. There was talk that Trump would unveil elements of a grand Israeli-Palestinian peace deal at the summit, but Palestinian representatives are boycotting the summit and have pre-emptively rejected any decisions that emerge from it. France and Germany will dispatch junior officials to the conference. UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt agreed at the last minute to attend but only to chair a meeting on pursuing peace in Yemen. We are going to have the celebration sooner rather than later in Tehran and I want to be there with you Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's lawyer But while the conference may ostensibly be devoted to achieving a broader settlement of the Middle East’s issues, neither Palestinians, Yemen’s Houthis, or any representative of the Iranian-led axis that includes Lebanese Hezbollah will attend. Russia has rejected the conference. Many see the summit as an attempt to put an international imprimatur on a meeting that gathers foreign ministers of the Arabian peninsula’s anti-Iran alliance together with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has assumed the mantle of his country’s top diplomat.<doc-sep>
Kacper Pempel, Reuters | US VP Mike Pence, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talk during the family photo at the Middle East conference at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, on February 13, 2019. The United States and Israel will lead a new push to pressure Iran at a conference on Thursday in Warsaw which is as notable for its absences as its attendees. Advertising Read more US Vice President Mike Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are both set to address the 60-nation gathering on Valentine’s Day, which will promote a US-led vision of the world that includes no love for Iran. But most major European nations sent only low-level officials, alarmed at President Donald Trump’s bellicose tone on Iran. And Russian President Vladimir Putin has managed to divert the spotlight by holding a simultaneous summit in the resort of Sochi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the future of war-battered Syria. As Iran, Russia & Turkey ready a summit in Sochi to work for peace in Syria & UN Court rejects US excuses & readies to rule on US theft of Iranian people’s assets, flip-flopping Trump officials try to hide their perpetual lawlessness & global isolation behind a charade in Warsaw. Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 13, 2019 Also casting a cloud over the Warsaw talks, a suicide car bombing in southeastern Iran on Wednesday killed 27 troops of the elite Revolutionary Guards who were returning from patrol, according to the force. Iran quickly linked the attack to the Warsaw conference, where supporters of the formerly armed opposition plan a second day of protests on Thursday. Dubbing the meeting in Poland the “WarsawCircus”, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was “no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day” the talks began. But an extremist group from the Sunni Muslim minority claimed responsibility for the attack in the volatile southeastern Baluchistan region bordering Pakistan. Sunni militants were also held responsible for a major assault on a military parade in southwestern Iran in September. The latest violence and the conference come just as the Shiite clerical regime was celebrating 40 years since the Islamic revolution that overthrew the pro-US shah. Growing US pressure on Iran Iran has been comparatively stable in a turbulent region in recent years. But President Donald Trump has boasted of growing unrest and economic insecurities after he slapped on biting sanctions. Trump walked away from what he called a “terrible” 2015 deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama in which Iran constrained its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. The European Union has defied Trump by not only backing the accord, with which UN inspectors say Iran is complying, but setting up a financial tool for European firms to skirt US sanctions and keep doing business in the Middle East’s second most populous country. Even Poland always eager to please the United States as it fears a resurgent Russia has gone to pains to say that it still backs the agreement alongside other European members. Poland and the United States toned down the conference to a vague goal of seeking stability in the Middle East without specifically mentioning Iran. Netanyahu has been unflinching in his criticism of Iran’s leaders, who do not recognise Israel’s right to exist. One result of Netanyahu’s campaign has been to put him into an unofficial coalition with Israel’s longtime Arab adversaries that also dislike Iran. Netanyahu tweeted a photo of himself meeting in Warsaw with Oman’s foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, calling it a “revolution in Israel’s foreign relations!” Four months ago, I visited Oman. It was the first time an Israeli PM had visited Oman in more than 20 years. Today I met with the foreign minister of Oman. We spoke about taking additional steps to strengthen our relations. This is a revolution in Israel’s foreign relations! pic.twitter.com/UJ5rpycivG Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) February 13, 2019 The Israeli leader paid a rare visit last year to the Gulf sultanate, which has no official ties with Israel but has sought to smooth relations with powers across the region, including Iran. Guarded hopes on Yemen The sole senior official from a major European power to attend is British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said he wanted to focus on ending the crisis in Yemen.