Publications | Mehran Haghirian

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