Alwaght- As international tensions and regional crises escalated in recent years, the world more than any other time has faced interwoven challenges that are not limited to security but also include environmental, economic, humanitarian, and geopolitical areas, with their settlement requiring coordinated and multifaceted approach. This growing complexity on the world stage unprecedentedly highlights the need for regional and international cooperation and pushes the governments towards proactive and engaged diplomacy.
In such situation, peace and stability has become one of the key priorities of the states, to an extent that in a majority of the international and regional summits and forums, dialogue about diplomatic cooperation and common mechanisms to manage the crises is gaining special weight.
This reality has sparked a wave of new summits, conferences, and advisory mechanisms designed to assess emerging trends and counter shared threats.
In response, West Asian nations are now actively pursuing deeper engagement, confidence-building, and multi-level cooperation to overcome current challenges and pave the way for new regional frameworks.
A key example is the newly launched "Muscat Forum" whose this year's theme is mediation. The two-day event opened on Sunday in the Omani capital and runs through Tuesday, attracting broad Arab and international participation. It builds on the work of the "Oslo Forum on Mediation," a premier global event convened by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which brings together top mediators, policymakers, and conflict resolution experts.
Significance and objectives of Muscat Forum
The Muscat Forum has a special place and is recognized by the world mediators and peace activists as one of the most important mediation platforms and essential as its naming explains, it is a space for talks where quiet mediations are ongoing. The gathering provides an open forum for dialogue and sharing experiences, creating a crucial opportunity to examine new mediation tools and bolster efforts to resolve conflicts through quiet diplomacy. Also, the event brings together key players from various peace tracks in West Asia, fostering an environment for innovative ideas and dialogue approaches. This positions the event as a practical launchpad for initiatives aimed at regional stability and dispute resolution.
Choosing Muscat as the host reinforces Oman's well-established role as a de-escalator and bridge-builder. Its foreign policy, defined by neutrality and independence, has made the country a trusted consultation platform and a mediator accepted by all sides.
The inaugural Muscat Forum in 2023 brought together 40 prominent figures from 26 countries. This year marks its third installment. Past discussions have tackled peace efforts in sensitive files, including Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Libya, and Gaza. The agenda also covered transitions from ceasefires to comprehensive political processes, the digital dimensions of conflict, and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on regional stability. At that time, reflecting on the partnership at the first gathering, Norway's Foreign Minister, Anniken Huitfeldt, noted: “Our cooperation with Oman on peace and reconciliation is vital. For years, Oman has played a quiet, neutral mediating role in the Middle East, including a pivotal part in supporting dialogue among the warring parties in Yemen and in the process that led to the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.”
The current Muscat meeting hosts representatives from Libya, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Lebanon, Qatar, Yemen, and Egypt, alongside the Secretary General of Norway's Foreign Ministry, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, and the CEO of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Delegates have also held separate meetings with Oman's FM.
This high-profile event in Muscat is a rare and significant development, cementing Oman's status as a key player for regional dialogue and diplomatic consultation. While the closed-door talks have kept specifics from leaking, analysts are closely watching the gathering. Given Oman's long track record of mediating sensitive regional and international files, experts are now alert to the possibility of a new, emerging initiative, one whose first signs are already capturing the attention of observers.
Given the success of some regional countries in environment and climate change areas and countering various challenges, they are trying, through forums like Muscat Forum, to share their achievements and experiences. Such forums give an opportunity to discuss common solutions for collective challenges and enhance regional cooperation, to help settle broad challenges through collective thought.
A meeting amid Gaza war
This regional conference convenes at a critical moment, as the war in Gaza has dramatically escalated tensions and made cooperation among participating nations more essential than ever to overcome shared challenges and establish stability.
In the face of escalating warmongering by the Israeli regime over the past two years, Iran and Arab states are now actively working to expand cooperation across various fields to prevent insecurity from spilling over into the Persian Gulf.
Past experience has proven that regional security cannot be guaranteed by relying on foreign powers, particularly the US. The extensive presence of US troops and multiple bases in Arab countries has failed to deter direct threats against them. A clear example was the Israeli attack on Qatar, which Washington took no action to repel. This demonstrated that whenever the equation involves Tel Aviv, the skies of Arab nations remain open to Israeli missiles and warplanes.
Contrary to the traditional mindset of the previous generation of Arab rulers, the US military-security presence in the Persian Gulf can no longer be interpreted within the old framework of an "oil-for-security" deal. Washington's policies in support of the Israeli regime have fundamentally altered all calculations, including the Arab-backed two-state solution for Palestine as a foundation for lasting regional security.
In this new reality, Arab nations and Iran are striving to utilize regional frameworks like the Muscat Gathering to forge shared strategies for countering the threat posed by the Israeli regime and other sources of instability. These meetings provide a vital opportunity to enhance convergence, exchange expertise, and devise effective measures to ensure security and stability without dependence on foreign powers. They demonstrate the capacity of regional countries to safeguard their own security through mutual cooperation and coordination.
Muscat, the diplomacy ground for Tehran
The Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has tried to seize the opportunity to expand the cooperation in various areas. So, Araghchi has held a series of meetings with senior Omani officials and other representatives participating in the event. In his meeting with his Omani counterpart, Araghchi discussed Iran's efforts for de-escalation of tensions in the region.
The two sides reviewed the trajectory of their bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, particularly efforts to de-escalate tensions and support diplomatic approaches to resolving crises. Both emphasized the importance of sustained coordination and consultation to bolster security, stability, and initiatives for development and peace in the region.
Iran and Oman currently enjoy their strongest relationship in years, with their coordination on regional and international affairs reaching an unprecedented level. This closeness and convergence is clearly reflected in the official statements of Omani officials. Oman has previously urged other members of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council to reconsider their positions toward Iran so that, through collective cooperation, they can stand against shared threats posed by the Israeli regime.
In a separate meeting on the sidelines of the Muscat Gathering, David Harland, the Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, along with three of the organization's senior managers, met with Iran's FM.
Their discussions focused on international trends and the challenges and dangers threatening global peace and security, which they framed in the context of what they described as flagrant violations of international law and the UN Charter.
Referring to the highly volatile global situation, Araghchi stressed that American unilateralism and the continued aggression and crimes of the Israeli regime against the nations of the region make it imperative for all states and the international community to act responsibly and effectively. He argued this is necessary to protect the achievements of human civilization and to safeguard peace and the rule of law.
Harland, for his part, shared his views on the significance of diplomacy as the only effective way for making peace and settling disputes. Araghchi also met with the UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg.
The Iranian delegation's participation in Muscat Forum while the region is at a critical juncture gives an important opportunity to boost preventive diplomacy and expand security dialogue with Arab countries. This Iranian presence also allows for regional synergy in the gave of common threats and prevention of current crises from spreading to the Persian Gulf.
In general, Iran's attendance of the meeting serves a critical purpose, reminding other regional representatives that in the current volatile climate, the threat from the Israeli regime will not be confined to Tehran or Doha. It tells them that unless a joint initiative is formed to counter this danger, other nations in the region will inevitably, sooner or later, face the same aggression and expansionist policies of Tel Aviv.
