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The GCC Will Not Unify on Iran
Mehran Haghirian Middle East Council on Global Affairs - Afkar April 14, 2026 The war that has unfolded across the Gulf has done more than shatter the region’s security architecture. It has also underscored a long-standing reality: the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has never operated as a unified actor in its approach toward Iran, and it is unlikely to do so after the conflict ends. The GCC is often treated in policy discussions as a coherent bloc confronting a common Irania

Mehran Haghirian
Apr 136 min read


I Grew Up in Iran and the Gulf. This War Risks Breaking the Bonds Between the Two
Mehran Haghirian New Lines Magazine April 9, 2026 “Is this a war with us? Or with the U.S.? I’m confused!” That was from a friend in Dubai. Minutes later, another message came from Doha, and more direct: “Iran is attacking Qatar again.” Those messages came as I was receiving news alerts about the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and the Islamic Republic’s targeting of Doha, Dubai, Kuwait City and Manama. Within hours, it became clear that this was not just another episode of esca

Mehran Haghirian
Apr 814 min read


An Iranian-Emirati Perspective on a New Gulf Security Architecture
Mehran Haghirian and Mohammed Baharoon Bourse & Bazaar Foundation April 7, 2026 A version of this article was originally published in French in Le Grand Continent. Beyond the tragedy, the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the Iranian strikes targeting the Gulf states – which continued unabated from 28 February 2026 until the April 8 ceasefire – have starkly highlighted a glaring absence: the Gulf region fundamentally lacked any security architecture. The semblance of order that

Mehran Haghirian
Apr 75 min read


La nouvelle architecture de sécurité du Golfe : une perspective irano-émiratie pour l’après-guerre
Mehran Haghirian and Mohammed Baharoon Le Grand Continent April 7, 2026 Au-delà de la tragédie humaine, les attaques américano-israéliennes contre l’Iran et les frappes iraniennes visant les États du Golfe qui se poursuivent sans relâche depuis le 28 février 2026 ont mis brutalement en évidence une absence : le Golfe n’avait, fondamentalement, aucune architecture de sécurité. Le semblant d’ordre qui existait avant le déclenchement de cette guerre reposait sur une polarisation

Mehran Haghirian
Apr 71 min read


Oman Aims to Preserve the Status of the Strait
Mehran Haghirian and Abdullah Baabood Bourse & Bazaar Foundation April 7, 2026 The Strait of Hormuz has always mattered, but rarely has that been as visible as it is today. For centuries, it has linked the Gulf to wider trading routes across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Today, a significant share of the world’s energy supplies and other commodities pass through this narrow stretch of water. When Hormuz is disrupted, the effects are not regional, but global, and they are felt qui

Mehran Haghirian
Apr 65 min read


War Ruptures the Gulf's Understanding with Iran
Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation March 28, 2026 The war unfolding now in the Persian Gulf has produced something more dire than just another episode of escalation between Iran and its Arab neighbors. It has created a rupture. For years, the region has lived through tensions, proxy confrontations, maritime incidents, sanctions, and diplomatic breakdowns without crossing into this kind of direct and sustained assault across the Gulf itself. That threshold has now bee

Mehran Haghirian
Mar 276 min read


Protests Mark the End of the Islamic Republic’s Political Project
Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation January 9, 2026 “Death to the dictator,” “This is the final battle,” and “Long live the king,” are the slogans Iranians have been shouting in the streets since December. They have returned to the streets in force, with the protests on January 8 involving enormous crowds around the country. While the latest wave of demonstrations began in the bazaars in response to the sharp devaluation of the national currency, these are not merely

Mehran Haghirian
Mar 57 min read


Southbound: Gulf Climate Finance and Sectoral Transformations in the Global South
Mehran Haghirian and Naser Alsayed November 2025 Executive Summary The Rihla Initiative for Green Economic Growth has mobilised a diverse network of policymakers, technical experts, and civil society leaders across the Gulf and the Global South. At its core, the Initiative is grounded in a single conviction: that Gulf capital can and must be deployed in ways that accelerate climate transitions while addressing regional development priorities, guided by the principles of justi

Mehran Haghirian
Dec 19, 20252 min read


Nuclear Diplomacy in the Gulf: Exploring Pathways for Regional Nuclear Energy Cooperation between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE
Mehran Haghirian Published as part of the SALAM project, PRISME July 2025 Download: https://prismeinitiative.org/publications/nuclear-diplomacy-gulf-regional-energy-cooperation-iran-saudi-uae-mehran-haghirian/ The June 2025 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities shattered assumptions about the inviolability of safeguarded sites and underscored the urgent need to reimagine nuclear diplomacy in the Gulf—where the ambitions of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Mehran Haghirian
Jul 31, 202514 min read


Efforts To Restore Bahrain-Iran Ties Gather Momentum
Mehran Haghirian Middle East Council on Global Affairs - Afkar November 3, 2024 On October 21, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas...

Mehran Haghirian
Nov 4, 20245 min read


Renewed sense of purpose drives GCC transformation
Mehran Haghirian Amwaj Media October 28, 2024 The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Oct. 16 held its first high-level summit with the...

Mehran Haghirian
Nov 3, 20245 min read


New Agreement Boosts Prospects for Connected Grids in the Gulf
Mehran Haghirian and Osamah Alsayegh Bourse & Bazaar Foundation October 15, 2024 The October 9 agreement to finally connect Iraq to the...

Mehran Haghirian
Oct 16, 20245 min read


Walking a Tightrope: How Gulf States are Navigating the Iran-Israel Conflict
Mehran Haghirian Stimson Center October 11, 2024 When the Gaza war erupted a year ago, a major question faced the nations of the Gulf...

Mehran Haghirian
Oct 16, 20245 min read


Turbulent skies: How Israel-Iran tension is disrupting global aviation
Mehran Haghirian Al-Monitor September 2, 2024 The escalating tensions in the Middle East and particularly the tit-for-tat exchanges...

Mehran Haghirian
Sep 5, 20246 min read


Can Abbas Araghchi Reshape Iran's Foreign Policy?
Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation August 23, 2024 On August 21, Iranian lawmakers confirmed veteran diplomat Abbas Araghchi as...

Mehran Haghirian
Aug 24, 20246 min read


Constraints Facing GCC-Iran Diplomacy Under Pezeshkian
Mehran Haghirian Stimson Center August 14, 2024 The nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), particularly Oman, Qatar, Saudi...

Mehran Haghirian
Aug 13, 20246 min read


Constructive Diplomatic Shifts in the Geopolitical Landscape of the Gulf
Mehran Haghirian September 2024 in "Mediterranean Transitions from the Gulf to the Sahel" Edited by Giulia Daga and Pier Paolo Raimondi...

Mehran Haghirian
Aug 1, 20241 min read


Regional Energy Cooperation in the Gulf: What Role for Europe?
Mehran Haghirian September 2024 in "Mediterranean Transitions from the Gulf to the Sahel" Edited by Giulia Daga and Pier Paolo Raimondi...

Mehran Haghirian
Jul 31, 20243 min read


Iran's Presidential Election Combines Low Turnout with High Stakes
Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation July 4, 2024 The second round of Iran’s snap presidential election marks a critical moment...

Mehran Haghirian
Jul 4, 20244 min read


Avenues for Regional Energy Cooperation in the Gulf
Mehran Haghirian and Maria Luisa Fantappie Bourse & Bazaar Foundation (B&BF) and the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) May 2024 In the...

Mehran Haghirian
May 23, 20242 min read
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