Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told Gulf governments that their populations are paying the price for choices made in favour of Washington’s military campaign, warning that this will continue as long as enemy forces are allowed to operate from their territory. His message, delivered more than a month into the Iran-US war, is designed to create political pressure from Gulf populations as well as governments. Tehran is clearly seeking to exploit the human cost of the war to shift Gulf policy.
The war has imposed significant human costs on Gulf populations in countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, where both US military operations and Iranian retaliatory strikes have disrupted daily life and caused damage to infrastructure. Gulf governments are now facing pressure from their own populations to act in the national interest. The situation has created an opening for Tehran’s diplomatic appeals.
Pezeshkian communicated his message on X, affirming Iran’s defensive military posture and promising retaliation for any attacks on Iranian infrastructure or economic centres. He urged Gulf leaders to take action for the sake of their own populations, warning that allowing enemy forces to direct the war from their land would continue to cost those populations their security and development. The appeal was deliberately targeted at both governments and citizens.
Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement has been sustained and effective, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif playing a leading role in the regional peace effort. Sharif’s meeting with Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran sees trust as the essential prerequisite for any formal peace talks. Pakistan’s approach has been praised by Tehran, bolstering Islamabad’s credibility as a mediator.
A multilateral diplomatic meeting in Pakistan is assembling senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey for intensive consultations on the conflict. Their discussions with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Sharif are focused on developing a coordinated approach to de-escalation. The gathering is one of the most significant diplomatic events of the conflict so far.