Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has adopted the strategy of speaking over the heads of Gulf governments and directing his message to their populations, arguing that ordinary Gulf citizens are suffering the consequences of decisions made by their leaders. His statement, delivered more than a month into the war, is designed to create political pressure on Gulf governments from within their own societies. Tehran is clearly pursuing a sophisticated information strategy alongside its military and diplomatic campaigns.
The populations of Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman have experienced significant disruption and damage as a result of the ongoing conflict. Iranian retaliatory strikes against those countries, triggered by US military operations against Iran conducted from Gulf soil, have imposed real costs on Gulf citizens. The human impact of the war is creating growing political pressure on Gulf governments.
Pezeshkian used X to communicate his message directly to Gulf audiences, framing Iran’s military posture as defensive and its retaliatory strikes as forced responses to attacks launched from Gulf territory. He appealed to Gulf citizens and their governments to act in the interests of their own populations by denying enemy forces access to their land. The strategy of speaking directly to populations was a sophisticated diplomatic manoeuvre.
Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement has been sustained and effective, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif serving as a trusted intermediary between Iran and other regional parties. Sharif’s meeting with Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran sees trust as the essential foundation for any meaningful negotiations. Pakistan’s role in the peace process has been praised by Tehran.
A significant multilateral diplomatic meeting in Pakistan is bringing together foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. Their discussions with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Sharif are aimed at developing a unified regional strategy for de-escalation. The talks are being closely watched as a key moment in the diplomatic effort to end the war.