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

What Happened

Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that Iran, Iraq and Gulf countries would hold a meeting in Oman on Monday to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and shared regional security. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called the meeting a sign of Iran's good intention and said security must be guaranteed by regional countries without outside intervention. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would brief delegations on the results of Iran-Oman consultations regarding safe passage and provide details of the agreement with Oman and maps of a new route, but warned that the agreement does not mean the strait will reopen; Iran still expects the United States to honour commitments under a 60-day memorandum of understanding signed in June, which Iran says collapsed in July after the US pushed for an alternative route closer to Omani territory. On Sunday, at least one person was killed and four wounded after an Iranian commercial vessel was attacked near Qeshm Island. Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said it will not participate, citing attacks on Gulf infrastructure, calling for Hormuz to be open without discrimination, fees or permits, and conditioning any collective meeting with Iran on the resumption of diplomatic relations. Bahrain cut ties with Iran in 2016 and has not restored them, unlike Saudi Arabia which did in 2023. A source familiar with Monday's meeting told Iran's Tasnim news agency that an Iran-Oman route agreement will be presented, but the strait will not reopen unless the US meets Iran's conditions, including recognition of Iranian control and allowing fee collection, which Washington rejects. The article states that the strait has been contested and restricted for more than six months amid the conflict it describes as the US and Israel's war on Iran.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of global oil and gas, so any formal Iranian control, fee regime, or prolonged restriction would have major global energy and Gulf budget implications. Bahrain's refusal to participate highlights GCC divisions over engaging Iran, and the meeting in Oman is a test of whether regional diplomacy can de-escalate shipping attacks and the broader US-Iran deadlock.

Watch For

Monitor whether Iraq and Gulf countries confirm attendance and what they say about the Iran-Oman route agreement presented at the Monday meeting in Oman; any US response to Iran's conditions or the June 60-day MoU; further shipping attacks near Qeshm Island or elsewhere in the strait; and whether Bahrain moves toward resuming diplomatic relations with Iran.