More than a month into the Iran-US conflict, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly called out Gulf nations for allowing the United States and Israel to use their territory to conduct military operations against Iran. His message, delivered via social media, ties Gulf security and development directly to their choices regarding foreign military presence. Tehran appears to be using diplomacy as a parallel front to its ongoing military campaign.

Countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman have found themselves deeply involved in the conflict, not through deliberate choice but because of their status as hosts to major US military installations. American forces have used these bases to attack Iranian targets, drawing retaliatory strikes from Tehran directed at those same nations. Gulf governments are now dealing with the human and material costs of a conflict they technically did not start.

In his post on X, Pezeshkian laid out Iran’s strategic logic clearly: Iran will not strike first, but any attack on its critical infrastructure or economic centres will trigger a strong response. He then turned to Gulf leaders with a direct appeal, warning them that they cannot expect security or development while allowing enemies to prosecute a war against Iran from their soil. The message struck a balance between warning and invitation to rethink existing alliances.

Pakistan has positioned itself as an important neutral actor in the conflict, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif taking the lead on diplomatic outreach. Sharif’s meeting with Pezeshkian produced the key finding that Iran is not ready for formal talks without a prior foundation of trust. Pakistan’s foreign ministry reported that Tehran had expressed appreciation for Islamabad’s active role in pursuing peace.

A significant diplomatic meeting is taking place in Pakistan, where the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey are deliberating on strategies to bring an end to the war. They are engaging with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Sharif to align on a coordinated regional approach. The meeting is being closely watched as one of the most substantive diplomatic efforts to address the conflict since it began.