Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has used the social media platform X to deliver a message to Gulf nations that traditional diplomacy might have struggled to convey, bypassing formal channels to speak directly and publicly to neighbouring governments. His statement, made more than a month into the Iran-US war, explicitly links Gulf security and development to their decision about hosting enemy military operations. Tehran is clearly exploiting modern communication tools to amplify its diplomatic pressure.
Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman have been significantly affected by the conflict through both US military operations launched from their territory and Iranian retaliatory strikes. The resulting damage and instability have created a difficult and complex situation for Gulf governments. Tehran’s use of public social media messaging adds a new dimension to the diplomatic pressure it is applying.
Pezeshkian’s post on X communicated Iran’s defensive military posture while making a pointed appeal to Gulf leaders. He warned them that allowing enemies to run the war from their territory would deprive their nations of development and security. The public and direct nature of the message on social media gave it an immediacy and reach that traditional diplomatic channels do not provide.
Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative has been sustained and productive, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif serving as an effective intermediary between Iran and other regional parties. Sharif’s meeting with Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran sees trust as the foundational requirement for any formal peace negotiations. Pakistan’s role has been praised by Tehran.
A significant multilateral diplomatic consultation in Pakistan is bringing together foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. Their discussions with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Sharif aim to produce a coordinated regional response to the war. The meeting is one of the most important diplomatic events of the conflict so far.