Lack of Regional Consensus an Impediment to Hormuz Peace Plan

EghtesadOnline: The prerequisite to the realization of Hormuz Peace Endeavour—an initiative aimed at ensuring Persian Gulf security through cooperation among regional governments—is a shift in the policies of regional countries, an expert on international relations said.

News ID: ۷۸۵۲۲۶

07 January 2020

“Until a move is made by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain toward rejecting US influence and promoting stability in the region, the possibility of the peace plan’s success remains low,” Mohammad Sadeq Koushki said in an interview with Iranian Diplomacy.

The Hormuz peace initiative, which was proposed by President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations General Assembly in September, aims to help defuse regional tensions, particularly in the Persian Gulf, according to Financial Tribune.

The plan explores various avenues of cooperation, including security of energy supply, freedom of navigation and free transfer of oil and other commodities to and from the Strait of Hormuz, based on the principles of mutual respect, non-aggression and non-interference.

Koushki added, "Even if the situation in Syria and Yemen, among other issues, are rectified, we cannot expect much progress in the way of lasting stability in the region until Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City and Manama stop being US pawns."

The already volatile Persian Gulf region has been experiencing heightened tensions in recent months, with several attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz in May, as well as an assault on Saudi oil facilities in September.

The United States blamed those incidents on Iran with no evidence and boosted its military presence in the region. It also called on its allies and partners to form a security mission in the strategic waters, to which Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, along with Britain and Australia, responded positively.

In response to the US measure to launch a coalition against Iran, Tehran has been promoting diplomatic solutions such as the Hormuz Peace Endeavour.

The proposal invites all Persian Gulf states, and the United Nations, to work together to establish peace without the interference of foreign countries.

Koushki said that over the span of the past 40 years since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has clearly sought friendly relations with regional countries, as evidenced by managing to maintain peaceful relations with several regional Arab states, including Oman.

Pointing to a lack of sovereignty in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, Koushki said, "These players have always served as US pawns in the region. The complex power dynamics in the region is the result of this state of affairs."

Iran has proposed setting up meetings with Middle East countries at various levels to reach a consensus over the parameters of its peace initiative for the region, before launching it collectively.

Koushki explained that regional players cannot dismiss Iran's power, and need to adopt policies based on their "collective interests", instead of what the White House dictates.