Middle East must choose: peace and prosperity, or Iran’s clenched fist

The Middle East stands at a critical crossroads. The fall of Daesh’s (Islamic State’s) caliphate of terror represents an opportunity to aug­ur a new beginning for the region, but also entails considerable dangers. There are stark alternatives for the future of the region. There is the path of reform and renewal, which seeks to unlock the vast human potential of the Middle East, promotes pluralism, tolerance and women’s rights, and seeks a positive and productive relationship with the international community.

It strives to empower the individual and restore the authority of the state against the centrifugal forces of tribalism, sectarianism and religious intolerance.

This is the path chosen by the leaders of the moderate Arab countries. While it is fraught with challenges and difficulties, we strongly believe that it is the only path forward for the Middle East.

But there is another path and a competing vision for the future of the region. This is the path being pursued by Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis and their regional allies.

It is based on a backward ideology that subordinates the individual to a radical religious utopia and tramples on the fundamental rights and freedoms deserved by all. It challenges and undermines the power of the state by empowering sectarian militias and sows ethnic and religious discord and division. It is a path of conflict and destruction.

From Damascus to Sanaa, the Iranian government has ruthlessly promoted this vision to serve its own hegemonic ambitions.

To this end, Iran continues to recruit and arm scores of extremist militias that are responsible for some of the most egregious acts of violence against civilians; Iranian military forces are supplying advanced ballistic missile technologies to the Houthis and other terrorist groups to target innocent civilians in ­Riyadh and elsewhere; and Iranian proxies block and undermine international efforts to find inclusive political solutions to many of our region’s most dire conflicts.

This is a path that is already littered with countless victims, and one where there can be no winners, only losers. It’s a path that holds dire consequences not only for our people and our region but also our friends and allies abroad, who are also forced to face the ­consequences of never-ending conflict and destruction.

As many others, we in the United Arab Emirates had hoped that the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the P5+1 would encourage Iran to unclench its fists and seek a different path.

Instead, it seems to have only encouraged Iran to step up its regional aggression and intimidation. To salvage the JCPOA and preserve its positive elements, a more comprehensive deal is urgently needed; a deal that tempers Iran’s aggressive regional agendas, constrains its ballistic missile program and ensures against nuclear proliferation in the long term.

Such a deal would hold countless opportunities, not least for the people of Iran, who long for the development and prosperity that their leaders have sacrificed in pursuit of geopolitical gains. The international community, including Australia, has a critical role to play when it comes to encouraging Iran to embrace this opportunity for a better future and a new beginning. Iranian leaders must understand that their current path is a dead end, for their people and for the region.

The choice for Iran should be clear: halt its destabilising activities in the Middle East, and in return enjoy a positive and prosper­ous relationship with its neigh­bours and the international com­munity. On the other hand, if Iran chooses to continue on its current path, it must understand that this will come at a cost, and that it will remain distrusted by all apart from extremists and those who share in its negative, backward vision.

We in the UAE are unequivocal in our own choice for progress and reform. The rewards are clear. The UAE is a stable country with a vibrant economy, where women are involved in every facet of our country’s ongoing development, and where nationalities from all around the world, including almost 20,000 Australians, live harmoniously alongside their Emirati neighbours.

We believe the UAE represents a vision of what the Middle East can become. This is a vision that should be supported, and one that can prosper and spread only if the international community is clear-eyed about the dangers at hand.

Just as Australians covet stability and peace, so too does the UAE. Our vision is that of a Middle East that is prosperous and peaceful and that is no longer seen as a zone of instability that stumbles from one crisis to the next.

In our efforts to ensure that this vision becomes a reality, the UAE looks to Australia, a strategic partner and ally, to continue to embrace the opportunities that will come by supporting moderation, prosperity, openness and tolerance in the Middle East, while pushing back against those who seek to undermine the great potential of our region.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.