Saudi Arabia Floats Gulf-Iran Non-Aggression Agreement

(MENAFN) Saudi Arabia is quietly advancing a proposal for a sweeping non-aggression agreement between Gulf states and Iran in the aftermath of the US-Israeli war on Tehran — a diplomatic initiative drawing on Cold War precedent and gaining traction among European powers, the Financial Times reported Friday, citing diplomatic sources.

A Helsinki Model for the Gulf
According to Western diplomats who spoke to the FT, Riyadh is examining a framework loosely modeled on the Helsinki Process — the Cold War-era multilateral talks that culminated in the landmark 1975 Helsinki Accords, which successfully reduced hostilities between the Soviet Union and US-led Western nations. Gulf governments are said to be increasingly alarmed that Iran — battered by devastating US-Israeli strikes yet still a formidable military force — will remain a destabilizing presence, particularly if Washington scales back its regional military footprint once the war concludes.

While the concept of a comprehensive non-aggression pact had been circulating before the outbreak of hostilities, the war injected renewed urgency into the discussions, the FT noted.

Israel: The Elephant in the Room
An unnamed Arab diplomat warned the FT that broad regional buy-in — including from Iran, which has long demanded a US withdrawal from the region — appears within reach, but that Israel's role poses a fundamental obstacle.

"In the current climate, you are not going to be able to get Iran and Israel... without Israel it could be counter-productive because after Iran, they are seen as the biggest source of conflict," the diplomat told the FT. "But Iran is not going anywhere and this is why the Saudis are pushing it."

European nations — which largely opposed the war against Iran and have a direct stake in securing the Strait of Hormuz — have reportedly thrown their weight behind the Saudi initiative, pressing fellow Gulf governments to endorse it as a mechanism for reducing the risk of renewed conflict while offering Tehran credible security assurances.

Gulf Unity Fractures Over Iran Strategy
Despite broad Arab sympathy for a diplomatic settlement, the Gulf bloc is far from unified. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are locked in a contest for regional influence, and the UAE has adopted the most hawkish posture toward Iran throughout the war — while simultaneously signaling an intent to deepen ties with Israel. Two sources told the FT that the UAE is unlikely to sign any non-aggression pact.

Prior to the outbreak of war, Gulf states had lobbied Washington against launching a full-scale military campaign against Iran, wary of retaliatory strikes. When those efforts proved unsuccessful, they publicly condemned Iranian attacks, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE reportedly conducting independent strikes on targets inside Iran. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all host US military installations — facilities that Tehran regards as legitimate targets.

Iran's Uneven Gulf Relationships
Iran's bilateral relationships across the Gulf vary considerably. Its warmest ties are with Oman, which has served as a trusted back-channel in US-Iran negotiations. Qatar and Tehran maintain pragmatic economic relations anchored by their shared stake in the vast South Pars-North Field gas deposit. Kuwait and Iran have historically maintained a posture of mutual wariness.

Saudi Arabia remains Iran's principal regional rival, though the two countries restored diplomatic relations in 2023. Iran and the UAE sustain trade links despite the significant strains imposed by the war and unresolved territorial disputes. Bahrain holds the most antagonistic relationship with Tehran, rooted in sectarian tensions, allegations of Iranian interference in domestic affairs, and Manama's close alignment with Washington — though a limited détente was reached between the two sides before hostilities began.

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