Iran Reframes Gulf Security, Shifting Debate Beyond the Nuclear Issue

Vijay Prashad argues Iran is shifting the Gulf’s negotiating agenda from its nuclear program to a broader regional security framework, using talks with Oman and others to propose Iranian oversight of inbound Gulf traffic and a region-led order. This reframes sanctions, bases, and maritime passage as interconnected issues that could force Washington to adapt if Iran’s systems govern the Strait of Hormuz. Recent regional reconciliations (Iran-Saudi via China) and growing diplomacy among Gulf players suggest non-Western mediation is reshaping West Asia’s balance, with the ultimate durability of any settlement hinging on enforceable agreements on nuclear restraint, foreign deployments, maritime access, sanctions, and mutual non-aggression.