Iran’s Gulf outreach collides with its regional proxy strategy Opinion piece by The National

Iran’s efforts to improve relations with its Gulf neighbours are facing a fundamental contradiction, as the growing activities of Iran-backed armed groups continue to threaten regional security, The National argues in an opinion piece.

The publication points to recent Houthi advances in Yemen and the shelving of planned Iran-Gulf talks in Oman as evidence of the widening gap between Tehran’s diplomatic ambitions and developments on the ground.

According to The National, Iran cannot credibly pursue better relations with Gulf states while continuing to support armed groups that threaten or attack those same countries.

The latest escalation in Yemen, the newspaper argues, has exposed this contradiction particularly clearly. The Houthis, who receive Iranian support, have claimed responsibility for further attacks against Saudi Arabia as they seek to expand their influence around the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandeb.

The fighting has also displaced an estimated 80,000 people, while undermining prospects for diplomatic progress.

The publication notes that the proposed Iran-Gulf talks had offered an opportunity to reduce the risk of a broader regional conflict. But diplomacy, it argues, cannot be considered separately from developments on the ground.

While regional officials discuss ways to ease tensions between Iran and its neighbours, Iranian-backed groups continue to launch missiles and drones towards Saudi Arabia. The Houthis are also threatening a maritime corridor that is vital to international trade.

The consequences extend beyond the immediate conflict zone. According to The National, the Houthis’ expanding presence around Bab Al Mandeb could give Tehran strategic leverage well beyond Iran’s own coastline.

It could also create another pressure point for global shipping and energy supplies, while deepening the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where conflict has persisted for more than a decade since the Houthis’ violent takeover of Sanaa.

The regional fallout is already being felt across the Red Sea. Djibouti has said that more than 2,000 Yemeni refugees have arrived on its shores, highlighting the conflict’s growing impact beyond Yemen itself.

For The National, the central issue is therefore not whether diplomacy should continue, but what such diplomacy must address.

The publication argues that any future understanding between Iran and the Gulf states would need to encompass the full scope of Tehran’s regional power — including its missile and drone capabilities, its support for armed groups and the threats posed to key maritime routes.

Gulf states have strong reasons to seek a more stable relationship with Tehran, The National says. Yet the newspaper argues that Iran itself has much to gain from improved ties with its neighbours, given the region’s geography and the costs of prolonged confrontation.

At the same time, it says, assurances alone are unlikely to provide a foundation for lasting stability while missiles continue to be launched and armed groups expand their territorial influence.

The failed or postponed talks, The National concludes, offer a clear lesson: a sustainable modus vivendi between Iran and the Gulf countries will require more than promises of non-interference or expressions of goodwill.

By Sabina Mammadli