Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a pointed warning to Gulf governments, stating directly that Iran’s enemies are running a war from their territory and that this is unacceptable. His statement, posted on X over a month into the Iran-US conflict, called on Gulf nations to take decisive action by denying the United States and Israel operational access to their lands. The message was one of the bluntest Iran has made to its regional neighbors.
The conflict has extended deeply into the Gulf as US forces based in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman have been used to strike Iran. Tehran has retaliated with strikes inside those countries, making the war a broader regional affair. Gulf governments, caught between their military alliances and Tehran’s escalating warnings, are under intense pressure to redefine their positions.
Pezeshkian stated clearly that Iran does not initiate military confrontations but will retaliate powerfully when its economic centers or infrastructure are targeted. He urged Gulf leaders to reclaim their sovereignty by refusing to serve as bases for enemy operations. His message is a call for regional solidarity and a warning that the current trajectory will only deepen the crisis.
Pakistan has assumed an important mediating role in the search for a resolution. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed after speaking with Pezeshkian that the Iranian leader sees trust as an indispensable precondition for any peace negotiations. Pakistan’s foreign ministry is coordinating a key diplomatic meeting with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar will lead the discussions and arrange separate meetings with Prime Minister Sharif. Iran has praised Pakistan’s honest and sincere mediation efforts in the ongoing crisis. The Islamabad summit may prove to be the most important diplomatic moment of the war so far, with the potential to shift the balance toward dialogue and peace.