A Gulf non-aggression pact could be the path forward

Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, has proposed a non-aggression pact among the eight Gulf littoral states: the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iraq and Iran. He describes it as an essential prerequisite for an inclusive regional security architecture, as another escalation between Iran and the United States looms. The proposal draws on a historic meeting in Muscat in November 1976, when the foreign ministers of all eight states discussed collective security after Britain’s withdrawal. The author argues that prolonged reliance on external powers and Iran’s exclusion have weakened regional security arrangements.