By Salma El-Sakka
Gulf states are advancing a multipronged peace plan aimed at preventing a renewed war between the United States and Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz and the Yemen conflict at the center of negotiations.
Strait of Hormuz and Sanctions Timeline
The proposal calls for the strategic waterway to reopen within four days of sanctions relief for Iran, down from an earlier seven-day demand, according to Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. In parallel, Houthi forces in Yemen would withdraw substantial units under Iranian mediation.
Yemen Mediation and Regional Security
Iran has signaled flexibility on the Yemen file. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, met Houthi ambassador Ibrahim al-Dulaimi in Tehran on Tuesday, a day after a high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan visited to discuss ending the Yemen war and a long-term regional security architecture.
US Demands and Nuclear Inspections
The United States is aware of the talks but insists on a concession that European diplomats say likely involves readmitting UN weapons inspectors to Iran’s nuclear sites. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband pressed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the issue in New York, but Tehran has so far refused, offering only principle-level talks on its nuclear program. Oil prices have surged above $117 a barrel amid fears of fresh US strikes on Iran.
Broader Security Vision
Tehran successfully kept its nuclear program off the agenda during those talks, steering the discussion toward a broader vision that would include Gulf states and Iran and reduce or end the US military presence in the region. A non-aggression pact ending Iran’s isolation since the 1979 revolution remains Tehran’s top strategic goal. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, a key advocate of the inclusive security plan, said the US administration understands the region is moving toward an eight-country peace framework with enormous economic potential. At a televised event this week, Araghchi emphasized Iran’s focus on a postwar security pact regardless of whether conflict erupts.
