The termination of the US-Israeli war on Iran would require solid guarantees and a credible guarantor.
![President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, on St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Washington. [Alex Brandon/AP Photo]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP26076581077037_cropped-1773801695.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)

Dr Sultan Al-Khulaifi is a senior researcher at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, where he focuses on issues of conflict mediation and... resolution. He holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Glasgow. Dr Al-Khulaifi’s research primarily examines Qatari foreign policy, with a particular emphasis on its role in conflict mediation and peacebuilding. His work seeks to deepen understanding of Qatar’s diplomatic strategies and its contributions to resolving regional and international disputes
The termination of the US-Israeli war on Iran would require solid guarantees and a credible guarantor.
![President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, on St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Washington. [Alex Brandon/AP Photo]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP26076581077037_cropped-1773801695.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
The Gulf states didn’t want this war, and they’re the ones Iran needs to mediate an end to the conflict.

For Gulf states exposed to the costs of war, diplomacy is not idealism but strategic risk management.

The Washington Agreement and the Doha Declaration of Principles face the same challenges as past mediation efforts.

New mediation must confront the root causes of conflict and include voices long excluded from elite-driven peace talks.
