Iran says will discuss Strait of Hormuz with Gulf states on Monday

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Published: 2026-09-11T19:36:06.589Z • Permanent link

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is set to meet with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers on Monday, according to reports, as the country seeks to ease tensions over its maritime activities in the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting, scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will focus on Iran's cooperation with Gulf states in maintaining maritime security in the sensitive waterway. Iranian officials have been engaging in diplomatic efforts to address concerns raised by the US and its allies over Iran's naval presence and missile tests in the region.

Key to the talks will be the role of the United Nations (UN) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in mediating disputes and promoting cooperation between Iran and the GCC. Iran has long maintained that its naval activities in the Strait of Hormuz are purely defensive in nature, aimed at protecting its territorial waters and maritime interests. However, Western powers have expressed concerns that Iran's military build-up and testing of ballistic missiles pose a threat to regional and global security.

According to data from the US Naval Institute, Iranian naval vessels have been conducting regular patrols of the Strait of Hormuz since 2019, sparking concerns among regional powers and Western nations. The US Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the region, has reported several incidents involving Iranian naval vessels, including confrontations over navigation rights and airspace. The tensions have led to calls for increased military cooperation between the US and Gulf states to counter perceived Iranian aggression.

The Strait of Hormuz, located at the southern entrance to the Persian Gulf, is a critical waterway for global oil trade, with an estimated 20% of the world's oil passing through it. Any disruption to maritime traffic in the region could have significant economic implications for countries reliant on oil exports. Companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies have invested heavily in the region, with many of their operations reliant on uninterrupted shipping lanes.

The impact of the tensions between Iran and the GCC on regional research communities will also be significant. The region is home to several prominent research institutions, including the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Saudi Arabia and the Iran Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS). These institutions have played a crucial role in promoting scientific collaboration and knowledge-sharing between Iran and the GCC, and any disruptions to these efforts could have long-term consequences for regional scientific development.

The tensions between Iran and the GCC are part of a larger pattern of regional instability in the Middle East, which has seen several countries experience significant turmoil in recent years. The conflict in Yemen, the Syrian Civil War, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict have all contributed to a complex and volatile regional environment. Iran's nuclear program, which has been the subject of international concern for decades, has been further exacerbated by the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.