After the U.S.-Iran confrontation, Gulf states have clearly seen America's true colors, realizing it's time to reach a security agreement with Iran.

Recently, the Daily Telegraph reported that Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar are independently engaging Iran at the negotiating table. Oman and Iran have already held their first meeting on managing the Strait of Hormuz. Next up are talks between Oman-Qatar, Iran-Saudi Arabia, and Qatar-Saudi Arabia—discussing how the region can coexist after war ends: how to manage navigation through the Hormuz Strait, what economic incentives the Gulf can offer Iran, and how much security concessions Iran might make in return. This diplomatic track runs parallel to the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations but operates independently.

Tor, from Washington’s Middle East Institute, put it bluntly: "America’s credibility has been eroding for years; now the Gulf states want to reach consensus directly with Iran." Even as U.S.-Iran hostilities continued from June 26–28, Farook of the International Crisis Group concluded that Gulf countries have long since begun preparing for a world where "things can’t go back to how they were." Saudi Arabia is expected to take center stage in this broad regional security negotiation.

In essence, the old bilateral security model—where the U.S. guaranteed Gulf security and the Gulf resisted Iran—is shifting toward a new pattern: direct talks between the Gulf and Iran, with the U.S. stepping aside. The triggers? First, the U.S. alternates between war and diplomacy, proving unreliable; second, Iran’s $6 billion in frozen Qatari assets have just been unfrozen, giving both sides an opening. If Saudi Arabia successfully leads this agreement, it would mark a collective leap by the six Gulf states toward strategic autonomy. Thus, Washington isn’t just losing arms sale contracts—it’s losing its Cold War-era identity as the sole “security contractor” for the Persian Gulf. What’s next? Whether Iran will guarantee free passage through the Hormuz Strait, and whether the U.S. will secretly undermine the process. After all, a deal brokered by the Gulf itself would be far more embarrassing for the White House than one signed by the U.S. and Iran.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869597608288264/

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