We need a new mindset: Anwar Gargash calls for direct Arab-Iran dialogue to shape regional future

Dubai: Arab countries and Iran need to engage in a direct dialogue over the future of the region rather than leaving strategic discussions largely to Tehran and Washington, Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said, calling for a “new mindset” in relations with Iran.

Speaking during an Al Monitor panel discussion in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week, Gargash said Iran viewed itself as a regional hegemon and preferred to discuss major strategic issues with the US.

“We need a new mindset,” Gargash said. He argued that discussions about the kind of region its countries want, the stability they seek and development, which he said was closely linked to stability, should take place not only at an Iranian-American level but also at an Iranian-Arab level.

Gargash said the UAE and other countries may also have to contend with an unstable Iran for some time, stressing that this did not necessarily mean a change of government in Tehran but was an important factor in determining how regional states dealt with their neighbour.

He also warned that the current conflict could become prolonged, pointing to complications including Yemen and economic sanctions, but said greater diplomatic engagement was needed to find a way forward.

“This is the period for greater diplomacy,” Gargash said.

His remarks came as senior officials and world leaders gathered in New York for the UN General Assembly, with Iran and wider regional security expected to feature prominently in diplomatic discussions.