New Delhi [India], March 20 (ANI): Three weeks into the conflict in West Asia, a Biden-era US top official, Daniel Benaim, has hailed India as a major arbiter of the 21st century, underlining that the Gulf states view New Delhi as a future superpower.

Benaim, who is an expert on the Arabian Peninsula, made the observations in a conversation with ANI.

When asked about which countries the United States could pair up with so as to come to a consensus to end the war, the former deputy assistant Secretary of State for the Arabian Peninsula noted that the Gulf countries admire India and see it as a future power.

Further, he spoke about the bonhomie shared between PM Narendra Modi and the United Arab Emirates President, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, stating that the countries in the region are determined to have 'big, broad, strategic' ties with India.

Benaim, who was a former speechwriter for President Joe Biden, told ANI, 'Having heard from just about all the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states, it's pretty clear that they see India as a future superpower, not just as a sort of place to receive labour and send capital, but as a major arbiter of 21st-century life.'

The expert, who previously served as the Middle East policy adviser and foreign policy speechwriter at the White House further noted, 'If not immediately, then certainly over time. That's the direction of traffic. They all see it. They all admire it. That's why you have a deal with a country like Oman, but it's also why Modi and Mohammed bin Zayed have this exceptionally close relationship.'

Benaim noted that despite the recent calculations of Saudi Arabia with Pakistan, the country is determined to compartmentalise its relationship when it comes to the ties they want with India.

'The Saudis see that too. And I think that they probably are calculating that whatever they feel they want and need from Pakistan as a matter of security, they're determined to compartmentalise that part of their relationship from the big, broad, strategic ties that they want to India,' he said.

According to analysts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is viewed in the region as a leader who could play an important role in supporting de-escalation efforts. This assessment stems from India's strong ties across the region, the significant Indian diaspora in the Gulf, and PM Modi's ability to maintain channels of communication with a broad range of regional and international actors, including both Israel and Iran.

The security situation between US-Israel and Iran continues to escalate, with both sides engaged in an escalating conflict marked by missile exchanges and military operations. Iran has attacked several energy infrastructure sites across the Gulf region in response to Israeli strikes on its gas facilities this week. (ANI)