Iran-GCC summit: What’s behind the meeting, why is Bahrain not attending?

Iran has said it will host talks in Oman on Monday bringing together Iraq and Gulf nations to address navigation and security in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran framed the meeting as an effort to improve mutual understanding and to bolster regional security without intervention from external powers, and said it would brief delegates on consultations with Oman about safe shipping routes. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Al Jazeera the talks were meant to show Tehran’s willingness to engage with neighbours despite recent attacks on Iranian territory that involved foreign bases.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told regional media that Tehran will present details and maps of an expected agreement with Muscat on routes through the strait, but warned the arrangement does not mean the waterway will be reopened. Araghchi said normal transit depends on the United States meeting conditions tied to a June 60-day memorandum of understanding, an accord that collapsed in July after disagreements over an alternate route that the US preferred.

The initiative comes amid a rise in attacks on commercial vessels in the strait. The source material reports that on Sunday an Iranian commercial ship was attacked near Qeshm Island, leaving at least one person dead and four wounded. Tehran has signalled it wants formal recognition of influence over the strait and the ability to charge fees for passage — a demand Washington rejects — while maintaining restrictions on transit and linking any resumption of normal shipping to the lifting of US naval blockades and sanctions.

Not all Gulf states have accepted Iran’s invitation. Bahrain’s foreign ministry said it will not participate, arguing that security in the region cannot be secured through appeasement and insisting the strait remain open without discrimination, fees or permits. Manama reiterated its readiness for dialogue but said it will not join a collective meeting that includes Iran until diplomatic relations are restored; Bahrain cut ties with Tehran in 2016 and has not followed Saudi Arabia in restoring relations (Riyadh normalized ties in 2023). Other Gulf governments and Iraq had not publicly confirmed attendance at the meeting at the time of the reports.

The talks fit into broader, Oman-mediated efforts to defuse tensions and devise temporary shipping arrangements as attacks on vessels have increased. Qatar’s prime minister visited Tehran late last month in a push to de-escalate, and Iranian officials have indicated an agreement with Oman on routing will be presented to participating states — while also warning that the strait will remain restricted unless Washington meets Iran’s conditions.