Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has appealed to Gulf nations’ long-term interests even as the short-term costs of the war continue to mount for both sides. His message, delivered more than a month into the Iran-US conflict, urges Gulf governments to look beyond their immediate alliance commitments and consider what is truly in their long-term interest. Tehran is seeking to shift Gulf governments’ time horizons by emphasising the long-term costs of their current choices.
Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman have borne significant short-term costs from the conflict, including the disruption caused by US military operations on their soil and Iranian retaliatory strikes targeting those countries. The accumulating damage to infrastructure, economies, and political stability is making it increasingly difficult for Gulf governments to justify their current approach. Tehran is betting that this growing pressure will eventually force a change in policy.
On X, Pezeshkian communicated Iran’s military doctrine of non-aggression and strong retaliation, while making a pointed appeal to Gulf leaders. He argued that allowing enemies to direct the war from Gulf territory would deprive those nations of any real prospect of development or security in the long run. The appeal was framed explicitly in the language of long-term national interest.
Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative has been one of the most active and effective in the region, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif serving as a trusted intermediary between Iran and other parties. Sharif’s meeting with Pezeshkian produced the finding that Iran views trust as an essential prerequisite for formal peace talks. Pakistan’s approach has been praised by Tehran, cementing Islamabad’s role as a key regional peacemaker.
A multilateral diplomatic consultation in Pakistan is gathering foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey for focused discussions on the conflict. Their meetings with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Sharif aim to develop a coordinated regional response. The gathering represents a significant diplomatic opportunity that could help shift the trajectory of the war.