Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has disclosed that Tehran has received 'numerous' messages from neighbouring countries expressing interest in 'shaping new security arrangements and economic cooperation' across the region. The remarks, made on Saturday via a post on social media platform X, come in the aftermath of joint US-Israel airstrikes on Iran on 28 February — a conflict that has visibly strained Washington's relationships with its Gulf allies.

Qalibaf's Regional Outreach Signal

In his post, Qalibaf argued that the United States had 'put the security of every single one of its allies at such risk through bullying and pure disregard for their interests for the sake of Israel.' He went further, stating: 'A homegrown, independent (regional) order is what will actually deliver peace and security.' The statement is a pointed appeal for a Middle East security architecture that sidelines Washington — and positions Tehran as a potential anchor.

Media reports, citing regional officials, indicate that Gulf Arab countries have grown frustrated with Washington for initiating hostilities while failing to provide adequate protection to its partners in the region. This frustration, if it crystallises into formal diplomatic realignment, could mark a significant shift in the Gulf's decades-long security posture.

Iran's Warning on the US Economic Siege

Separately, Iran's top security official Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, issued a stark warning on Saturday in an interview with state-run IRIB TV: any country that participates in the US economic campaign against Iran will be regarded as an 'enemy' by Tehran.

The warning follows US President Donald Trump's announcement on Wednesday of what he described as 'the most crushing economic operation ever taken' against any nation providing support to Iran — framing it as 'economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale.'

Rezaei clarified that Iran would first seek to negotiate with such countries and urge them to remain neutral. However, he warned that refusal would prompt Tehran to 'strike their interests.' Most critically, he threatened that if surrounding nations join the US-led siege, Iran 'will not let even a single drop of oil be exported from the Strait of Hormuz.'

The Hormuz Ultimatum

Rezaei reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless the United States fulfils its commitments under the Iran-US peace memorandum of understanding signed in June, adding that Washington must act first. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints, through which roughly 20% of global oil supply transits — making any closure threat a matter of acute international concern.

Rezaei also noted that Iran has, over years of successive sanctions regimes, developed mechanisms to bypass US restrictions and sustain oil exports — signalling that Tehran believes it can weather prolonged economic pressure.

What Happens Next

The convergence of Iran's diplomatic outreach to neighbours and its escalating economic warnings to potential US partners suggests Tehran is pursuing a dual-track strategy: building a regional coalition while simultaneously raising the cost of alignment with Washington. How Gulf states — many of which host US military installations — respond to this overture will be closely watched. Any formal diplomatic movement toward an Iran-led regional security framework would represent a historic rupture in the post-1991 Gulf security order.