Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi has called for a fundamental rethink of Gulf security following the recent conflict involving Iran, saying the war exposed the limitations of the long-standing policy of containment.
In an opinion article published in French daily ‘Le Monde’, Al Busaidi said the conflict had demonstrated that the decades-old strategy of containing Iran had failed to deliver lasting regional stability.
He said the people of Oman and the wider Gulf continue to live with the consequences of a war that “should never have happened,” adding that the region’s hope is for a lasting end to tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran rather than a temporary pause in hostilities.
The minister stressed that attention should now shift from assigning blame for the conflict to building mechanisms that can prevent future crises, MENA reported.
Al Busaidi said Oman has a unique responsibility because its territorial waters border the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes. He revealed that discussions are underway to establish a permanent framework to safeguard freedom of navigation through the waterway in accordance with international law.
He said Oman is working with Iran, the other coastal state, and the wider international community to develop practical arrangements that ensure the uninterrupted flow of maritime trade through the strait, describing the outcome of these consultations as vital for the global economy.
The foreign minister also argued that the Gulf’s security architecture, which has largely been based on containing Iran since 1979, should be reassessed. He said recent events showed that many of the region’s security challenges stem from decisions made outside the Gulf rather than from within it.
Calling for a more inclusive approach, Al Busaidi said all eight Gulf littoral states — Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran — have legitimate security interests and should be involved in shaping any future regional security framework.
He acknowledged that such a process would require difficult discussions and a re-evaluation of long-held assumptions, but said it was essential to building a more stable and secure Gulf region.
