Russia wants to reset Persian Gulf security – Can it?

Moscow’s plan for the region pushes small steps toward practical de-escalation and the building of trust. But are the players the ready? Russia has updated its Collective Security Concept for the Persian Gulf , one of the most sensitive regions in global politics. The update comes at a moment when tensions around Iran and resulting threats to maritime navigation and energy infrastructure, as well as the general deficit of trust among key Middle Eastern actors have once again exposed how fragile the balance in the Persian Gulf remains. Russia recognizes that the region is going through an acute crisis phase and therefore needs collective political and diplomatic work. Moscow is calling for long-term compromise solutions that could reduce tensions and create conditions for turning the Persian Gulf into a space of cooperation, sustainable development and predictability. Rather than being a reaction to one specific regional crisis, Russia’s proposals for Persian Gulf security form part of a long-standing policy line that has been developing since the late 1990s. Even then, Moscow proposed looking for a more balanced regional model in which the Arab Gulf states, Iran, Iraq and external actors could discuss security issues not through the language of threats, but through diplomatic mechanisms. Later, this idea was refined in the 2004 and 2007 versions, received a more detailed form in 2019 and was updated again in 2021. Each new version changes in the regional environment and responded to the challenges of its time. However, if the earlier versions focused more on the contours of a future architecture, the 2026 document focuses on steps that can be discussed and launched now: prevention of incidents, protection of navigation, security of energy infrastructure, arms control, the fight against transnational threats and the prevention of one state’s territory being used to strike another. Read more Why the US-Israel war on Iran failed What’s in the new concept? The first key block of the updated concept concerns international law.

Stability in the Persian Gulf is impossible without respect for the UN Charter and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of individual states – a crucial principle for a region where many crises have developed under external pressure. It sets the limits of acceptable behavior and confirms the right of states to determine their own domestic and foreign policy. The next important element concerns non-interference in internal affairs. Russia insists that domestic problems of states must be resolved within the legal framework and through national dialogue. The experience of Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya has shown how destructive attempts to forcibly reshape political reality can be. Multilateralism occupies a special place. Moscow proposes discussing security not in narrow closed formats, but with due regard for the interests of all participants. Contradictions between Iran and several Arab monarchies remain, the role of outside powers is strong, and the memory of wars, sanctions and attacks on infrastructure continues to shape political reality. If one side is excluded from the conversation in advance, there can be no sustainable solution. Another central principle of the updated concept is the indivisibility of security. It is impossible to strengthen the security of one side in a way that makes another side feel directly threatened. The Gulf region is dense with military infrastructure, energy facilities, ports, narrow maritime corridors and sensitive communications. One misstep or incident can quickly grow into an international crisis. That is why Moscow proposes looking at security more broadly, linking military, political, economic, energy, transport and environmental dimensions. A key feature of the Russian initiative remains its gradual approach. Moscow is not calling for the immediate creation of a new organization and is not propo