Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged Gulf nations to reclaim their sovereignty by ending their role in facilitating the US military campaign against Iran. His statement on X came over a month into the conflict and was addressed directly to the governments of the region. Pezeshkian argued that no country can achieve genuine security or development while serving as a launchpad for someone else’s war.
Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman have been swept into the conflict through American military bases on their soil. Strikes launched from these installations against Iran have drawn retaliatory Iranian fire into Gulf territory. Gulf governments have found themselves managing the consequences of a conflict they did not choose, amid growing public pressure to find a way out.
Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran’s military posture is strictly defensive, with retaliation reserved for attacks on Iranian infrastructure or economic centers. He urged Gulf governments to push back against the foreign military use of their territory as an act of sovereign self-protection. His message frames the decision as one with direct consequences for the long-term security and prosperity of these nations.
Pakistan has emerged as a vital diplomatic actor. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared that Pezeshkian communicated the importance of trust as a foundational element for any peace negotiations. Pakistan’s foreign ministry is hosting a multilateral ministerial meeting in Islamabad with foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey to discuss de-escalation.
Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar will lead the discussions and arrange meetings with Prime Minister Sharif. Tehran has praised Pakistan’s mediation as sincere and constructive. The talks in Islamabad are the most significant diplomatic development yet and may provide the framework needed to move the conflict toward a negotiated resolution.