BRICS, Oman talks reveal how Gulf states are preparing for Iran’s next phase - analysis

The Iran conflict enters a new phase as Gulf states and regional powers engage in diplomacy at the BRICS summit in India and in planned talks in Oman. The UAE and Iran met on the sidelines of BRICS, while Saudi Arabia faces pressure from Iranian-backed groups. Oman is set to host Gulf states and Iran for discussions on the Strait of Hormuz, though no signed agreement is expected.

The Iran conflict is entering a new phase, marked by key diplomatic meetings in India and Oman that reveal how Gulf states are preparing for what comes next. At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, the UAE's Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines, discussing regional stability and de-escalation. Saudi Arabia faces mounting pressure from Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen, having shut down its East-West Pipeline after strikes caused injuries. Meanwhile, Oman is set to host Gulf states and Iran on Monday for talks on the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has kept blockaded. Bahrain is not expected to attend. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that no signed agreement is expected from the Oman meeting. China's Xi Jinping used the BRICS platform to call for a more just international order and for the Global South to steer global governance. Turkey's Anadolu reported that foreign ministers from Arab states will meet in Muscat to sign an agreement establishing a joint Iran-Oman shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Pezeshkian. The article's framing relies on analysis of regional trends rather than neutral wire reporting, using interpretive language to connect the BRICS and Oman meetings as part of a coherent diplomatic shift.