The diplomatic push reflects a historic November 1976 precedent when all eight littoral nations convened in Muscat to explore collective security arrangements. Regional interest in non-aggression mechanisms has grown, with Saudi Arabia exploring a Cold War-style framework with Tehran and Qatar advocating for broader talks including Pakistan and Turkiye. However, genuine progress depends on overcoming entrenched hostility deepened by July drone attacks on Oman's Musandam and Al Wusta regions. Any durable accord must legally prohibit attacks on civilian infrastructure, halt proxy funding, and safeguard navigation through reciprocal restraint.
Key points
Regional security depends on establishing verifiable commitments that halt aggression and…: Regional security depends on establishing verifiable commitments that halt aggression and protect international maritime navigation lanes.
Deep-seated distrust exacerbated by hostile acts like regional drone strikes remains a ma…: Deep-seated distrust exacerbated by hostile acts like regional drone strikes remains a major obstacle to finalizing any pact.
Growing interest from regional players like Saudi Arabia and Qatar underscores a collecti…: Growing interest from regional players like Saudi Arabia and Qatar underscores a collective desire to de-escalate tensions.
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Oman is in a unique position to mediate talks on a security arrangement that could stabilise the region.
Proposing a non-aggression pact amid regional hostilities may seem premature. Yet agreements to stop war matter most when distrust is the deepest. The key question is whether regional governments can agree on rules that make their disagreements less destructive.
In a recent lecture at Cambridge University in the UK, Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, called for a non-aggression pact among all eight Gulf littoral states: the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council along with Iraq and Iran. He described it as the essential prerequisite for an inclusive regional security architecture.
Could such a pact work? As Albusaidi conceded, it would be hard to achieve. But as another major escalation looms between Iran and the United States, the region urgently needs a diplomatic path forward.
Indeed, the ongoing conflict has proved so hard to resolve because the region’s security arrangements have remained underdeveloped, relying for too long on external powers. The way forward then can be an inclusive agreement.
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