Iran’s strikes on the Gulf: Burning the bridges of good neighbourliness
The Gulf states didn’t want this war, and they’re the ones Iran needs to mediate an end to the conflict.
![President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, on St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Washington. [Alex Brandon/AP Photo]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP26076581077037_cropped-1773801695.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
The termination of the US-Israeli war on Iran would require solid guarantees and a credible guarantor.
The Gulf states didn’t want this war, and they’re the ones Iran needs to mediate an end to the conflict.
For Gulf states exposed to the costs of war, diplomacy is not idealism but strategic risk management.
The Washington Agreement and the Doha Declaration of Principles face the same challenges as past mediation efforts.
New mediation must confront the root causes of conflict and include voices long excluded from elite-driven peace talks.
