Ahmad Vahidi, a member of the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council, stated in comments to "RT" that "the Zionist entity is suffering from numerous security and social crises, in addition to a crisis of identity and legitimacy. There is internal instability, as the government faces problems that led it to hold four elections within two years."
The former Iranian defense minister and former commander of the Quds Force in the Revolutionary Guard added, "This entity seeks to turn to other countries for assistance in confronting Iran. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain are among those countries; of course, these countries lack the capabilities to confront Iran, and it is unlikely that they would be foolish enough to enter an alliance with the Zionist entity against us." He continued with a warning: "If Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain enter an alliance against Iran, they will receive very strong blows," pointing out that "despite that, the Zionist entity is seeking to form such an alliance."
General Ahmad Vahidi emphasized that "Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain have betrayed the aspirations and rights of the Palestinian people, and they have turned their backs on the Islamic nation," expressing hope from Tehran that they "will not sink deeper into the Israeli quagmire, because joining such an alliance will bring dire consequences upon them."
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated on Tuesday that he intends to establish a "special security arrangement" with Gulf countries that have relations with Israel and share concerns about Iran, affirming that "Israel is considering a defense agreement with Arab Gulf states, but he noted that efforts are underway to develop security relations." According to Reuters, a report from Israeli media outlet i24 News cited informed Gulf sources saying that negotiations with the trio (Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain) have been ongoing for several months, indicating that the talks are in response to Iran's increasing threat in the region, and an attempt by the negotiating countries to unify their position regarding the prospects of Iran building a nuclear bomb and to try to hinder its nuclear program, which they consider a real threat.
