Iran-Gulf Meeting in Salalah: Prominent Arab Analyst Identifies 6 Key Reasons Behind Its Potential Success

Shiite News: Prominent Arab analyst Abdel Bari Atwan has described the meeting between Iran and the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Salalah, Oman, as an important step toward regional reconciliation. In his recent article, Atwan outlined six major reasons why he believes the meeting has strong prospects for success:

• End of U.S. Intervention: According to Atwan, this is the first direct meeting between Iran and the Gulf countries in a long time without U.S. threats or interference being involved.
• Failure of U.S. Objectives: Atwan argues that the United States has failed to achieve its objectives of regime change in Iran and destroying its nuclear program, while Iran has maintained its position despite continued pressure.
• Economic Losses for Gulf Countries: He says that the six-month escalation and closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused Gulf countries to suffer the greatest economic losses, particularly by disrupting their oil and gas exports.
• Lack of Neutral Mediation in the Past: According to Atwan, some previous mediators, fearing former U.S. President Donald Trump, acted less as neutral intermediaries and more as channels for conveying American pressure to Iran.
• Oman’s Balanced Role: Atwan highlights Oman’s neutral regional position and its cordial relations with all sides, saying these factors have given the Arab-Iranian talks the character of a “family consultation.”
• Illusion of U.S. and Israeli Protection: Atwan argues that Gulf countries have increasingly recognized that the United States and Israel cannot guarantee their security, while U.S. military bases in the region have become, in his view, a financial burden and a means of political pressure.

Atwan also strongly praised the diplomatic efforts and wisdom of Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq in facilitating the meeting. He expressed hope that the talks could lead to an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which he believes would primarily benefit countries across the region.

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He further suggested that Egypt and Jordan could eventually join the reconciliation process and predicted that ending the war in Yemen would remain one of the leading items on the agenda.