Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a firm diplomatic warning to Gulf states on Sunday, tying their regional security and development directly to whether they choose to distance themselves from American and Israeli military operations. His message, shared via X, came as the Iran-US war surpassed the one-month mark. The statement was both a warning and an appeal from a country locked in open conflict.
The Gulf region has become a theater of war by proxy, with countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman hosting US military bases from which strikes on Iran have been launched. In return, Iran has been targeting locations in these countries as part of its retaliatory doctrine. The cycle of strikes has put immense pressure on Gulf governments navigating their relationships with both Washington and Tehran.
Pezeshkian wrote clearly that Iran does not engage in preemptive attacks but will strike back hard when provoked. He stressed that economic centers and national infrastructure are red lines that, if crossed, will trigger a decisive Iranian response. His message to Gulf neighbors was framed as advice: do not let external powers dictate the terms of a war being fought on your doorstep.
Pakistan’s diplomatic involvement has become increasingly important in this landscape. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif indicated after speaking with Pezeshkian that the Iranian leader sees trust as a non-negotiable foundation for peace talks. Pakistan has organized a high-level diplomatic meeting bringing together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey to discuss de-escalation strategies.
The meetings, to take place on Sunday and Monday, will be chaired by Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar, who will also arrange sessions with Prime Minister Sharif. Tehran has acknowledged Pakistan’s peace efforts as valuable and constructive. The region watches closely to see whether diplomacy can shift the momentum away from continued military escalation.