Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the King’s Cup final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, on May 8, 2026. (Credit: Stringer/Reuters)
Diplomats contacted by the Financial Times (FT) have revealed that Saudi Arabia is considering a non-aggression pact between Middle Eastern states and Iran as part of discussions with its allies on how to manage regional tensions once the American-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic ends, according to an article published by the British daily on Thursday.
Riyadh is reportedly looking at the "Helsinki process" of the 1970s as a potential model, which led to the 1975 accords between the Western bloc and the Soviet Union aimed at easing their relations and strengthening economic cooperation between these rival powers. According to the diplomats, Middle Eastern countries are considering the possibility of a post-war Iran that is weakened but still perceived as a threat to its neighbors. They added that this non-aggression pact is among several ideas currently being studied.
Many European capitals, as well as European Union institutions, would support the Saudi initiative and have urged other Gulf countries to back it, according to diplomats contacted by the FT. They see it as the best way to avoid future conflicts and also to offer Tehran assurances that it will not be attacked, they add.
An Arab diplomat said that a non-aggression pact inspired by the Helsinki process would be welcomed by most Arab and Muslim states, as well as by Iran, which has long sought to convince the United States and Western powers that the region should handle its own affairs.
"Everything depends on who is involved. In the current climate, it will be impossible to bring Iran and Israel together. Without Israel, it could be counterproductive, because after Iran, it is seen as the main source of conflict," this diplomat said. "But Iran is not going anywhere, and that is why the Saudis are pushing this idea."
Divisions also persist between Arab and Muslim states — notably between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two most influential Gulf countries — because of differing visions and economic rivalry.
Some Arab and Muslim countries are also increasingly concerned about Israel’s military conduct since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Many do not have official diplomatic relations with Israel, which is increasingly seen as a belligerent and destabilizing force as it continues attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, while occupying parts of southern Syria.
Iran has responded to the American-Israeli war by launching barrages of missiles and drones against Gulf monarchies — striking energy facilities and other civilian infrastructure — and by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, which has highlighted the potential threat it poses to its smaller neighbors, the FT notes.
The United States and Iran have conducted indirect talks on an agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But negotiations have focused on Iran’s nuclear program, not on its arsenal of missiles and drones or its support for allied regional groups, which nevertheless are major concerns for the Arab states.
