WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2019) Former United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Joseph Votel told Sputnik that deconfliction channels should be established in the Gulf Region where the tensions are high between Iran and US-allied Arab states.
"I think we certainly should, we certainly should. Anytime we can talk to our adversaries is important," Votel said on Wednesday when asked whether it was possible to create deconfliction channels in the Gulf similar to the one that the United States and Russia have in Syria.
Earlier, during his speech at the middle East Institute's 73rd Annual Conference, Votel said that he "was deeply influenced by the effectiveness" of the deconfliction channel with the Russian military in Syria, which helped the United States to both keep things in check and keep American forces safe and focused on the defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia).
Votel also said there is a need to establish similar communications with Iran. Although Iran represents a real and serious threat to US interests, he added, the United States must clearly articulate its objectives and remove ambiguity.
"I'm not sure we understand what Iran wants and I'm not sure they understand what we are after either. At the same time we should also pursue channels for communication," Votel said during the same speech.
The big challenge in the Gulf, Votel added, is always miscalculation. Clarity in objectives and an ability to communicate are the necessary ingredients to reduce miscalculation and de-escalate tensions, Votel said.
"It doesn't have to be elaborate," Votel said at the conference. "It can start... at lower levels and can even be done through a third party."
Tensions have escalated in the Persian Gulf over the past several months, in large part due to the standoff between the United States and Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal � Washington unilaterally withdrew from the pact last year, which prompted Tehran to begin rolling back its nuclear commitments. A series of attacks on tankers in Gulf waters and, most recently, drone attack against oil facilities of Saudi Arabia have worsened the situation, with Washington and its allies placing the blame on Iran. Tehran has refuted all accusations.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani unveiled the Hormuz Peace Initiative at the 74th UN General Assembly in September and expressed his country's readiness to work on it together with the United Nations. The plan seeks to establish security in the Strait of Hormuz, the neighboring Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, in the wake of high-profile security incidents there and create a system of collective cooperation in the Gulf area.
