Iran-GCC Summit: What’s Behind the Meeting — and Why Is Bahrain Staying Away?
A planned high-level meeting between Iran and the Gulf states over the Strait of Hormuz has exposed both a growing push for regional diplomacy and deep divisions within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The talks, scheduled to take place in Oman, were intended to discuss maritime security and a possible framework for restoring safer shipping through the strategically vital waterway. However, the meeting has now been postponed as regional countries struggled to reach consensus.
The proposed meeting comes at a particularly sensitive moment. The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the regional crisis, with Iran having severely restricted shipping during the conflict involving the United States and Israel. The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, making its security a direct concern for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
The immediate objective of the Iran-Gulf discussions was to examine an arrangement negotiated between Tehran and Muscat for managing shipping through the strait. Iran and Oman have been working on a temporary navigation framework under which vessels could use designated routes through Iranian and Omani waters. Tehran has indicated that such an arrangement would not necessarily mean an immediate and unrestricted reopening of Hormuz.
For the Gulf monarchies, however, the issue is much larger than shipping. The crisis has demonstrated how vulnerable their economies are to disruptions in regional waterways. Saudi Arabia has attempted to move oil exports through alternative routes, but a recent drone attack damaged its East-West pipeline, further highlighting the risks facing Gulf energy infrastructure.
The meeting also reflects a changing calculation among some Gulf governments. Years of confrontation with Tehran have not eliminated Iran’s ability to influence the security environment around the Gulf. With Hormuz effectively becoming a major pressure point, Gulf governments have increasingly strong economic incentives to communicate directly with Tehran, even while maintaining serious disagreements with Iran.
The recent diplomatic contacts between Iran and the United Arab Emirates are another indication of this shift. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said after meeting UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan that the two sides had agreed to put the past behind them and look toward future cooperation.
But Bahrain has taken a markedly different position.
Manama announced that it would not participate in the proposed Iran-Gulf meeting. Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said it would not join a collective meeting involving Iran until diplomatic relations between the two countries are restored. Bahrain and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since Manama severed ties with Tehran in 2016. Saudi Arabia, which also broke relations with Iran in that period, restored diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2023; Bahrain has not followed the same path.
Bahrain’s objection is also rooted in the immediate security crisis. Manama says Iranian attacks have targeted Gulf infrastructure and civilian facilities and argues that regional security cannot be achieved through what it describes as appeasement of Tehran. Bahrain has also demanded that any arrangement governing Hormuz guarantee free passage for vessels without discrimination, fees or special permits.
That position is significant because Bahrain currently holds the rotating GCC presidency. Its absence therefore carries more political weight than that of an ordinary member. It underscores the difficulty of presenting a unified Gulf position toward Iran at a time when individual GCC countries face different security calculations.
Bahrain’s security relationship with the United States also matters. The kingdom hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has traditionally maintained particularly close strategic ties with Washington. At the same time, Bahrain has been among the Gulf states directly affected by the recent confrontation with Iran. The GCC has formally condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
There is therefore a fundamental tension inside the Gulf. Some GCC states increasingly see dialogue with Tehran as necessary to protect trade, energy exports and regional stability. Bahrain, meanwhile, believes negotiations should come only after Iran addresses the attacks and restores diplomatic relations.
The postponement of the meeting demonstrates just how difficult that balance has become. Oman said the talks were delayed “in the interests of consensus,” while Iranian officials said the postponement came at the request of regional countries. Saudi Arabia has reportedly sought changes to the proposed Iran-Oman arrangement because of concerns over its long-term implications for other GCC states.
The crisis also extends beyond Hormuz. Iranian-backed Houthi forces have increased pressure around Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and the Bab el-Mandeb waterway, another crucial artery for international commerce. The combination of Hormuz disruption, attacks on Saudi infrastructure and instability around Bab el-Mandeb is creating a much broader threat to Gulf energy and global shipping.
For Iran, the proposed dialogue offers an opportunity to demonstrate that regional security cannot be managed without Tehran. Iranian officials have argued that the countries of the region themselves should determine the future of Gulf security rather than outside powers. The meeting would also give Tehran a platform to explain its proposed arrangements for shipping through Hormuz.
For the Gulf states, the calculation is more complicated. They need Iran to help stabilise the waterways, but they do not want to accept arrangements that could effectively give Tehran permanent leverage over commercial navigation. That explains why even countries interested in talks are pushing for international legal guarantees and broader regional agreement.
The postponement is therefore not simply a diplomatic setback. It reveals the central dilemma facing the Gulf: Iran may be viewed as a security threat, but its geography and influence make it impossible to ignore. As the economic costs of disrupted shipping rise, the pressure for direct Gulf-Iranian diplomacy is likely to grow — even if countries such as Bahrain remain unwilling to sit at the same table with Tehran.
