GCC and Iranian foreign ministers make history in Doha

The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and their Iranian counterpart Abbas Aragchi met over breakfast in Doha on Thursday on the margins of the third Asian Cooperation Dialogue summit, in which Iran and the Gulf countries took part.

Although informal, the foreign ministers’ meeting was historic because it was the first known gathering between Iran and GCC foreign ministers as a group.

Besides novelty, the meeting was significant for several other reasons. It came amid a dangerous escalation in conflict between Israel and Iran after the former’s incursion into Lebanon and its crushing of the leadership of Hezbollah, Tehran’s most important regional proxy.

The Lebanon war came on top of the year-long war in Gaza and repeated exchanges of fire between the two regional foes. Iran’s inability to deter Israel or come to the help of its close allies when they were being decimated by Israel has been devastating to Iran’s standing in the region. The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh while he attended Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s inauguration in July was especially humiliating. Iran’s retaliation on Tuesday, launching about 180 missiles into Israel with limited known effects, has failed to change popular impressions about Iran’s capabilities, but is likely to produce a harsher response from Israel.

It is clear that Iran feels isolated. US and European attitudes have hardened toward Iran after the failure of the nuclear deal talks and Tehran’s reported involvement in the Ukraine war on Russia’s side. In the US, during a hotly contested presidential election in the US, support for Israel and antipathy toward Iran are par for the course. And Tehran’s support for Yemen’s Houthis, who are targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, has alienated even more countries around the world.

Despite these complications, the new administration in Tehran, barely two months old, has said that it wants to turn a new page with the international community and with its neighbors. Iranian diplomacy was active at the UN General Assembly in New York last month, trying to restart talks with Americans, Europeans, GCC interlocutors and others. The new foreign minister Abbas Aragchi, a seasoned diplomat, was a familiar face as a spokesperson for the foreign ministry and was nuclear negotiator in President Hassan Rouhani's government.

This meeting in Doha could be the start of a new phase of relations if Iran is able to deal with a host of GCC security and political concerns. Their relations have gone through good and bad times, mostly bad, since the Iranian revolution in 1979. Past attempts to bridge differences eased tensions temporarily but did not produce the desired results. The list of those differences is long and the GCC has been very clear about them, through public statements, private correspondence and visits by emissaries to find ways to address those concerns. 

One of the main differences in the past had to do with how the two sides approached international and regional crises. The GCC has long sought to anchor its foreign and regional security policies on international law, including the UN Charter. This means respect for the sovereignty of states, political independence, territorial integrity and the inviolability of their borders. It also means refraining from the use of force or threats and non-interference in the internal affairs of neighbors. On the other hand, Iran distrusted international rules and institutions, and exercised exterritorial overreach that went way beyond accepted state conduct.

If the new administration in Tehran delivers on its promises to turn a new page and address regional concerns, the two sides will be able to rebuild confidence.

Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Iran’s nuclear program remains a major concern for the GCC, which has asked to be part of any international or regional discussion about it. It is also concerned about Tehran’s missiles and drones, which have been deployed frequently against its member states.

Iran’s open support for designated terrorist groups, sectarian militias and other armed rebels acting outside the law in regional states has posed an impediment for normalizing relations with the GCC.

Securing energy infrastructure and trade routes in the region is a major ask by the GCC and the international community and Iran needs to ensure that its forces and those of its allies are not a threat to those interests.

Iran’s continued occupation of the UAE’s three islands (Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb) has been one of the major issues dividing the two sides of the Gulf for the past 50 years. The GCC has advocated turning the issue over to the International Court of Justice, the body most competent in addressing border disputes, but Iran has so far rejected that proposal.

Recently, Iranians have claimed, with no legitimate basis in international law, a share in the Durra gas field, which is owned jointly by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on the other side of the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia and Iran reached agreement in March 2023 to restore their diplomatic relations, thanks to China’s mediation, through the direct involvement of President Xi Jinping. However, beyond exchanging ambassadors, progress has been slow to address other concerns.

Iran has now restored diplomatic relations with all GCC countries, with the exception of Bahrain. Restoring relations with Manama needs to be a priority in the coming months, which means addressing Bahrain’s concerns, especially non-interference in internal affairs. The good news is that the two sides have already exchanged several visits to discuss those concerns.

If the new administration in Tehran delivers on its promises to turn a new page and address regional concerns, the two sides will be able to rebuild the confidence necessary to work together to reduce tensions and de-escalate the numerous regional conflicts. Re-establishing trust can lead to concrete steps for economic, security and cultural cooperation.

The foreign ministers’ meeting in Doha could be the catalyst for a historical turnaround. The people of the two sides of the Gulf are thirsting for re-normalization so they can resume their shared cultural and economic interests going back thousands of years, but suspended for the past four decades because political estrangement between their countries.

• Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the Gulf Cooperation Council assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent the GCC. X: @abuhamad1