Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has crafted a war message that appears deliberately aimed at Gulf public opinion as much as at Gulf governments, arguing that citizens of neighbouring nations are suffering because their leaders continue to host enemy military operations. His statement, delivered more than a month into the Iran-US conflict, reflects Tehran’s sophisticated understanding of the domestic political pressures facing Gulf governments. Iran is clearly working to build pressure from below as well as from above.
Gulf populations in countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman have experienced the direct consequences of the conflict through disruptions caused by both US military activities and Iranian retaliatory strikes. The human and economic costs of the war are being felt across Gulf societies. Gulf governments are now facing questions from their own populations about the wisdom of their current security arrangements.
Pezeshkian posted on X to communicate Iran’s military position clearly, affirming a non-preemptive stance while guaranteeing strong retaliation for any damage to Iranian infrastructure or economic assets. He then made his appeal to Gulf governments in language designed to resonate with ordinary citizens, warning that hosting enemy forces was costing their nations both development and security. The message was carefully crafted to operate on multiple levels simultaneously.
Pakistan’s diplomatic effort has been both substantive and credible, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif actively engaging Iranian leadership and other regional parties. Sharif’s meeting with Pezeshkian revealed that Iran insists on trust as the foundational requirement for any formal peace talks. Pakistan’s balanced approach has been praised by Tehran, cementing Islamabad’s role as a trusted mediator.
A major multilateral diplomatic meeting in Pakistan is bringing together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. Their discussions with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Sharif aim to develop a coordinated regional approach to de-escalation. The talks are being watched closely as a potential turning point in the diplomatic effort to end the war.