Gulf states back US-Iran agreement as war prompts pragmatic shift

Doha – All six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman) have expressed support for a memorandum of understanding signed last week between the United States and Iran, saying the deal offers a path to de-escalate the war that has affected the region.

"The ongoing conflict … compelled the Gulf states to pursue a more pragmatic relationship with Tehran, one that will include enhanced dialogue to deter conflict," Farah al-Qawasmi, researcher at the Gulf Studies Center, Qatar University, told Al Jazeera.

"An agreement between the two parties is being [highly] advocated by the Gulf states in [an] attempt to prevent and contain regional conflicts," al-Qawasmi added.

Analysts note that the Gulf states’ backing reflects a practical desire to end hostilities rather than a sudden shift in trust toward Tehran. Rob Geist Pinfold, a security studies lecturer at King’s College London, said the Gulf states view diplomacy as preferable to force for influencing Iran’s behavior, especially given recent Iranian drone and missile attacks on Gulf cities and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"The today problem is Iran’s use of drones and proxies to destabilise and undermine the sovereignty of Gulf states, but also states throughout the region," Pinfold explained.

The United States is sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio on a three-day tour of the Gulf to reassure the coalition that the agreement will not empower Iran. Mehran Haghirian, director of research at the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, said the GCC now has a more central role in the negotiations, with Qatar acting as a co-mediator.

"They are at the heart of the negotiations," Haghirian told Al Jazeera.

Key concerns for the GCC include the future of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has demanded tolls, and proposals for a regional investment fund for Iran. Qatar’s prime minister described the $300 billion figure for the fund as “aspirational,” and no Gulf state has committed to contributing.

The article also highlighted the varied positions within the GCC, noting that Oman, Qatar and Kuwait were broadly supportive of the 2015 nuclear deal, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain were more skeptical but still publicly endorsed the current MoU. Past U.S. policy, including the 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA, had led to a “maximum pressure” approach that many Gulf states now reassess in light of recent diplomatic overtures, such as the China-brokered Saudi-Iran agreement in 2023.

Overall, the war sparked by Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran in February and Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Gulf states appears to have prompted a pragmatic rebalancing, with Gulf governments seeking to manage security risks through diplomatic engagement rather than further military escalation.