The Gulf Is a Partner in the Settlement

Detailed summary

No one can say with certainty whether war or peace lies ahead between the US and Iran, but what is certain is that both have been exhausted by the conflict. The Gulf countries had no say in the outbreak of the war, yet they have paid a heavy price for it. If there is to be peace, it is unacceptable for the Gulf to be sidelined after bearing that cost.

The cost to the Gulf is not confined to a struck facility or a disabled ship. In the Strait of Hormuz, energy and trade flows are disrupted, shipping and insurance risks escalate, and delivery schedules grow increasingly uncertain. In Bab al-Mandeb, the Houthi threat to navigation forces vessels onto longer routes, driving up transport costs and delaying supplies. Caught between these two straits, regional economies, which rely on uninterrupted trade to sustain projects and ensure domestic jobs and stability, are suffering.

The Gulf position calling for de-escalation therefore stems from an understanding of national interest. The Gulf countries have built their plans on economic diversification, attracting investment, and opening the door to work for millions of non-citizens. The continuation of the conflict consumes some of what was set aside for these goals. They need a neighborhood that can be dealt with according to clear international rules, and clarity is the last thing one can expect from Iran, as we are seeing and experiencing.

This is what gives value to the mediation led by Qatar and supported by Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries. Doha has continued to exchange proposals and narrow the gap between Washington and Tehran, and Prince Khalid bin Salman went to Tehran, despite the escalation against Saudi Arabia, in pursuit of some rational understanding. The Gulf foreign ministers have affirmed that the effort is being conducted in coordination with regional partners. With all these efforts, the observer wakes up holding one view and goes to sleep holding the opposite.

Saudi Arabia's contacts with the parties concerned and its continued dialogue with Iran thus keep it present in the search for a way out. Riyadh has a political and economic weight that any viable future regional arrangement will need.

Whatever the situation, the Gulf mediator must not lose sight of its own interests because it carries the two sides' messages.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Asharq Al-Awsat. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.