By continuing its policies of pressure, sanctions and economic blockade, while simultaneously pursuing hostile actions against Iran at the Board of Governors and the Security Council, the United States has failed to achieve its project of forcing the Islamic Republic of Iran into submission, even when the Trump administration’s secretary of war spoke of “turning Iran to ashes.” Under these circumstances, an important regional development is taking shape. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has announced that a meeting of the foreign ministers of the littoral states of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, with the participation of Iran, Iraq and other countries of the region, will be held in Oman on Monday. The meeting could become a new link in Iran’s chain of region-centered diplomacy.

Iran: A Hub of Neighbor-Centered Diplomacy Backed by the Realities on the Ground

This meeting is not merely a diplomatic event. It could represent an approach that Iran has emphasized for years: regional security must be provided from within the region and with the participation of the countries that have a stake in it. The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently emphasized dialogue and diplomacy among neighboring countries because dialogue can, on the one hand, reduce misunderstandings and, on the other, provide the basis for identifying and strengthening common ground.

From Iran’s perspective, the roots of a significant part of West Asia’s crises lie in the interventions of the hegemonic system and the policies of the Israeli regime. Reaching a common understanding among the region’s countries regarding these threats could pave the way for peace, lasting security and collective progress. On this basis, even at the height of the 12-Day War and the Ramadan War, Iran’s regional diplomacy did not come to a halt. Telephone consultations and meetings between the foreign minister and officials from regional countries, as well as visits by senior officials from countries including Qatar, Oman and Pakistan, attest to the continuity of this path.

Now, too, the Oman meeting provides an opportunity for neighboring countries to discuss sensitive crises and developments in a regional setting and, through such dialogue, develop new mechanisms for cooperation and confidence-building.

Indigenous Security: An Option Proven by the Realities on the Ground

The Ramadan War revealed an important reality: the United States’ purported security umbrella has not only failed to provide lasting security for Washington’s regional allies, but has not even been able to guarantee the security of the United States itself. At the same time, the “Israel First” approach in Washington’s policies has placed the interests and security of some Arab countries in conflict with those of the Israeli regime.

Signs of a gradual departure from this security model can also be seen, from the trilateral agreement among Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, known as the Mecca Agreement, to statements by Qatari officials about the need to move toward indigenous security. Iran, too, has for years put forward its Hormuz Peace Endeavor initiative within this same framework.

Even during the Ramadan War, the Islamic Republic of Iran did not target countries in the region and instead directed its attacks at US bases, interests and targets. Some regional countries, however, at certain points played into Washington’s hands, an issue whose redress and the rebuilding of trust depend on practical measures by those countries.

Maritime Security Through Acceptance of Realities on the Ground

One of the key issues at the Oman meeting will be strengthening regional security and examining safe navigation routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Experience in recent years has shown that the presence of foreign forces, the establishment of US military bases in regional countries and the ties of some governments with the Israeli regime have not only failed to bring security, but have also extended insecurity to maritime navigation and trade.

Any mechanism for securing transit and transportation in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is inevitably linked to regional security developments. Part of this insecurity stems from the occupying and terrorist nature of the Israeli regime, while another part is rooted in the United States’ hegemonic policies, policies that have sacrificed regional security to serve Washington’s interests. From this perspective, attention to the realities on the ground and avoiding a US-centered approach are essential conditions for the success of any regional initiative.

Hormuz Equation Will Not Return to the Past

Iran welcomes the Oman meeting and can put forward numerous initiatives to strengthen regional convergence and localize security. But one reality must be taken into account by all participants: the equations governing the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz will not return to their pre-war state.

For years, Iran has upheld freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman within the framework of good neighborliness. However, the military aggressions of the United States and the Israeli regime have changed regional conditions, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, within the framework of its right to legitimate self-defense and its responsibility for regional security, has established a new, regulated balance governing passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Any agreement between Iran and Oman, or any mechanism formed at the meeting of the littoral states, will concern the post-war period and will not mean a change in the current equations. Under present circumstances, Iran’s sovereignty and oversight over the Strait of Hormuz remain in place, and any maritime security mechanism must take Iran’s security considerations and regional approach into account.

Iran’s presence in Oman is not from a position of weakness. Rather, it is diplomacy resting on the shoulders of the realities on the ground. Alongside its rapid, heavy and painful response to aggressors, Tehran emphasizes dialogue, regional convergence and the realization of indigenous security, a path whose ultimate destination is the end of the presence of outside powers and the strengthening of the security independence of the region’s countries.