Badr al-Busaidi, the Foreign Minister of Oman, in his speech on October 26 titled "Comprehensive Security in the Persian Gulf" at Cambridge University, emphasized the necessity of Iran's participation to achieve sustainable security in the region. He made these remarks at a time when recent military developments and insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz have made the need for a reassessment of the security relations among the countries in the region more apparent.
Proposal for Cooperation Among Regional Countries
The Omani Foreign Minister proposed that the six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, along with Iran and Iraq, come together to discuss the future of regional security and create a framework for a non-aggression pact among the eight countries. He referred to the 1976 Oman meeting where foreign ministers of eight countries gathered to discuss collective security arrangements, and reviving this initiative could provide an opportunity for a comprehensive dialogue to begin.
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Emphasis on Geographical and Security Realities
Al-Busaidi emphasized Iran's position in the security equations of the Persian Gulf and stated that excluding Iran from security arrangements would lead to greater instability. He also expressed that the existing differences between Iran and Arab countries should not be interpreted as a permanent enmity. From the perspective of the Omani Foreign Minister, regional countries must take primary responsibility for their own security and reduce dependence on foreign powers.
This view has been expressed more explicitly by Oman, but it is also observable in the recent positions of Emirati officials. Mohammed bin Zayed, the President of the UAE, and Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the President of the UAE, have also emphasized the necessity of engaging with Iran, although they have their own specific security concerns.
Given the experiences of the past few decades in the Persian Gulf, wars and arms races have failed to establish sustainable security. Therefore, ensuring the security of the Persian Gulf must involve cooperation among the coastal countries and not just the concerns of one or a few countries.
Oman's proposal for a non-aggression pact could be a starting point for joint cooperation. Sustainable security will only be achievable when coastal countries, despite their differences, accept that the security of none of them can be guaranteed separately from the security of others.
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