Talks between Gulf states and Iran aimed at repairing relations after the war are not expected to take place any time soon, two Gulf diplomats have told The National.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is expected to host Gulf-Iran reconciliation talks in Riyadh, although no date was specified. However, Gulf diplomats, speaking to The National on condition of anonymity, said reports of such discussions were premature.
“Gulf states have shown good faith in pursuing peace and continue to rely on diplomacy to resolve the conflict,” said one diplomat. Rebuilding trust with Iran remains a key challenge, the diplomat added.
Many Gulf countries are wary of Tehran despite the framework agreement reached between the US and Iran. Several officials have publicly stressed that confidence must be restored after a war in which countries across the region came under a barrage of Iranian missile attacks that resulted in civilian deaths.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure Gulf partners on Thursday that any agreement with Iran would take their interests into account, as he concluded a regional tour aimed at building support for the administration of US President Donald Trump’s preliminary accord with Tehran.
At a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers and officials in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, Mr Rubio said Washington was pursuing a durable peace with Iran that would not come at the expense of the security or prosperity of its regional allies.
“The message that I come with is that we want to ensure that in any decisions that are made throughout this negotiating process, the interests of our partners and our allies in the region are always taken into account,” he said.
Some Gulf states remain concerned that the agreement may be too accommodating towards Iran.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, said on Thursday that “new geopolitical realities” cannot be imposed on Gulf states through aggression.
“Imposing a fait accompli born out of aggression does not create stability; rather, it plants new seeds of discord and conflict for the future. This applies particularly to the Strait of Hormuz,” Dr Gargash wrote on X.
A former Gulf official told The National last week that trust could not be rebuilt through political declarations alone.
“Trust is earned through actions,” said the former official. “For countries in the region, that means sustained commitments, respect for sovereignty and clear evidence that the aggression witnessed during the war will not be repeated.”
