Decades of reliance on Western military intervention have failed to bring lasting peace to the Persian Gulf. Speaking recently at Cambridge University, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi proposed building a formal nonaggression pact uniting all eight littoral states of the Gulf. This arrangement would bring the six Gulf Cooperation Council members together with Iraq and Iran under a single security umbrella. As the threat of renewed conflict between Washington and Tehran looms, inclusive regional diplomacy offers the only viable alternative to endless war.
Excluding Tehran from regional security planning has always been geographically and strategically flawed. Because Iran controls roughly half of the Persian Gulf coastline, any defense framework built against it generates permanent friction rather than stability. All eight littoral states last sat together at a single negotiating table in Muscat in November 1976 after British forces withdrew from the region. Reviving that inclusive spirit fifty years later acknowledges that neighboring states must manage their own waterways without foreign tutelage.
From Tehran Proposals to Arab Diplomatic Consensus
Iranian diplomats have long championed the concept of indigenous collective security in the Persian Gulf. In May 2019, former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif advanced proposals in Baghdad for a regional nonaggression treaty, an initiative soon followed by the Hormuz Peace Endeavour at the United Nations. Although several Arab capitals initially dismissed those overtures, the destructive fallout of the 2026 war on Iran has shifted regional calculations. Reports indicate that Riyadh has explored Cold War style confidence building frameworks with Tehran, while Qatari, Turkish, and Pakistani officials have endorsed wider regional dialogue.
Oman occupies a uniquely trusted position to mediate these negotiations among its neighbors. Muscat maintained channels with Tehran throughout the most turbulent phases of the recent conflict and hosted crucial bilateral talks in 2025 and early 2026. While Omani diplomats cannot dictate terms on behalf of other Gulf capitals, their mediation provides a neutral venue where all eight states can negotiate as sovereign equals. A durable treaty would convert mutual suspicions into binding legal commitments backed by verifiable conduct.
Step by Step Rules for Maritime Stability
Constructing a credible security pact requires practical confidence building measures rather than symbolic declarations alone. Negotiators from the eight littoral nations can begin by establishing military hotlines, advance notification of naval drills, and clear rules for maritime encounters. Early agreements to protect desalination plants, energy terminals, and commercial vessels would test compliance and build mutual trust. Omani and Iranian representatives have already drafted outlines for temporary navigation protocols in the Strait of Hormuz once wartime restrictions ease.
Binding commitments against cross border strikes and foreign interference would further consolidate regional sovereignty. Although neither the United States nor Israel would belong to such a treaty, a united front among Gulf littoral states would prevent external powers from dragging the region into wider conflagrations. Initial compliance on maritime safety and infrastructure protection could gradually expand cooperation into environmental stewardship and emergency response. By codifying the principle that no Gulf nation may endanger a neighbor, Tehran and its Arab partners can secure their shared waters for generations.
Original analysis inspired by Abdullah Baabood from Al Jazeera. Additional research and verification conducted through multiple sources.
