Foreign
Minister: Gulf Security Requires Transition from Containment Policy to Regional
Inclusion

Paris,
14 July 2026 (ONA) — Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister,
stated that the war on Iran has revealed the need for a comprehensive review of
the security architecture of the Gulf region, and a transition from the policy
of “containment” that governed regional arrangements over the past
decades to a system based on the inclusion of all countries in the region and
their assumption of responsibility for their shared security.

Al
Busaidi added, in an article published by the French newspaper Le Monde, that
the peoples of the Sultanate of Oman and the Gulf nations are living under the
weight of the consequences of a war that should never have occurred, expressing
hope that current developments will lead to an actual end to the conflict,
rather than a mere temporary halt in military operations that could collapse at
any time.

He
explained that one of the priorities currently on the table is to establish a
permanent framework that guarantees the freedom of navigation in the Strait of
Hormuz, pointing to the special responsibility that the Sultanate of Oman bears
in this file, as it is, alongside Iran, one of the countries whose territorial
waters border the strait.

The
Foreign Minister stressed the necessity for the Sultanate of Oman and Iran, in
cooperation with the international community, to formulate realistic,
sustainable, and international law-compliant arrangements that guarantee
freedom of passage and protect maritime navigation in this corridor, which
represents one of the primary pillars of global trade and economy.

In
this context, he praised the constructive role undertaken by France in the
discussions related to the future of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but
stressed that addressing the situation of the strait should be part of a broader
strategic vision that includes the Gulf and its connected maritime corridors.

The
Foreign Minister noted that the security system formed in the Gulf since 1979
was based on the premise that Iran is considered an existential threat to the
region and Western interests—a premise he described as having been
fundamentally flawed.

He
pointed out that past decades have witnessed massive military spending, the
expansion of US bases in the region, and the entrenchment of a security system
dependent on external protection, without this leading to the building of
sustainable security or preventing the outbreak of wars and crises.

Sayyid
Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Foreign Minister, said that the recent war
revealed the extent to which the policy of containment was an illusion, adding
that the sources of greatest danger to Gulf security often stem from decisions
made outside the region, particularly from Tel Aviv.

Al
Busaidi raised questions regarding how the Gulf security system could be rebuilt
in light of these transformations, emphasizing that any future structure cannot
exclude any of the eight countries bordering the Gulf, namely the six GCC countries,
in addition to Iran and Iraq.

He
added that each of these countries has vital interests and responsibilities
commensurate with its capabilities and priorities; thus, all of them must
participate in designing, implementing, and bearing the obligations arising
from the new regional system.

He
explained that this transition will require frank and perhaps difficult
discussions, as well as a review of some of the established norms that have
governed regional and international relations for decades, with the aim of
distinguishing between partnerships that enhance Gulf security and those that
may create vulnerabilities or new sources of tension.

In
this framework, he called for a balanced review of relations with international
partners, notably the United States, pointing out that the goal is not to
abandon historic and deep-rooted relations, but rather to rebalance them in a
manner consistent with the strategic realities revealed by the war.

The
Foreign Minister questioned what constructive role friendly nations, including
the United States, could play if inclusion, rather than containment, becomes
the foundation upon which regional security cooperation is built.

He
also stressed that Gulf security cannot be separated from the northwestern
Indian Ocean, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the ports and sea
lanes linked to the economic and logistical infrastructure of the region.

He
said that the peoples of this vast geographical scope would benefit from the
establishment of a legal and practical framework capable of protecting trade
and navigation, and promoting sustainable stability and prosperity.

Sayyid
Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, described the war as a
“disaster,” noting that it broke out without a United Nations mandate
and did not achieve the goals declared to justify it.

He
concluded his article by emphasizing that hope remains that the repercussions
of the war will lead to an end to the nearly half-century-old policy of
containment, paving the way for a more just, realistic, and effective security
system in the Gulf region.

—Ends/AG