Iran is signaling to its Gulf Arab neighbors that the era of US dominance has come to an end, a regional expert told CNN, after Iran’s supreme leader published a message on X aimed at Gulf states that have long had close ties with Washington.
“I say to Iran’s southern neighbors: you are witnessing a miracle,” Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s account on X posted on Thursday, seemingly referring to the regime’s survival in the US-Iran war against it. “So observe closely, understand matters correctly, stand on the right side, and be distrustful of the false promises of the devils,” he said, referring to the US and Israel.
Hasan Alhasan, senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain, said that following the ceasefire, Iran may see itself in a powerful position despite the attacks it withstood in recent weeks.
“Having weathered the US–Israeli onslaught, cornered Washington into accepting a ceasefire, and tightened its grip over the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran appears convinced it can now assert a more commanding role in the region,” Alhasan told CNN.
Khamanei said that Iran is “waiting for an appropriate response” from its neighbors, so that it can show “brotherhood and goodwill.”
“This will not be realized unless you renounce the Arrogant Powers, who miss no opportunity to humiliate and exploit you,” he wrote.
Alhasan said that Gulf states, which have been at the receiving end of barrages of missiles and drones from Iran throughout the war, are likely to receive Khamanei’s gesture with skepticism.
“The Arab Gulf states expressed defiance against Iranian aggression at the height of the war,” Alhasan said. “With or without the US, they are unlikely to accept Iranian tutelage once the war is over.”