Fears of renewed war with Iran, the threat to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the future of Gulf security arrangements dominated the conclusion of the “Manama Dialogue 2026” forum on Sunday, amid Gulf calls to contain the escalation, strengthen joint defense, and international movements to develop military and economic cooperation to protect sea lanes and energy supplies.
While Bahrain called for a regional security framework that remains open to Iran, provided that sovereignty and international law are respected, the UAE expressed its hope of achieving a diplomatic breakthrough that prevents a new confrontation, stressing its readiness for the worst possibilities. Saudi Arabia stressed that protecting the straits is a shared international responsibility, while French and British trends emerged to enhance maritime coordination, and Japanese interest in expanding cooperation with the Gulf states.
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani said, during the session “Global Security Governance: Comprehensiveness and Effectiveness,” that Gulf security must be formulated with the participation of the countries of the region themselves, calling for a regional framework based on respect for sovereignty, non-interference, freedom of navigation, and rejection of the threat of force.
He stressed that this framework should remain open to all neighboring countries that are ready to adhere to these principles, adding that the door “remains open, for Iran as well as for others, but it leads to rules, not exceptions, and to actions, not intentions.”
Al-Zayani revealed that the GCC countries and Jordan were subjected during the current year to nearly 7,000 attacks using ballistic missiles, drones, and cruise missiles, affecting civilian and economic facilities, including airports, ports, and data centers.
He pointed out that about 1,600 ships have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the crisis, and more than 23,000 sailors have been affected by navigation restrictions, warning of the repercussions of the turmoil on energy markets and food and medicine supplies.
He called for an international mechanism to protect maritime and air navigation, and the adoption of principles that prevent the use of straits and marine cables as tools of pressure or threats, referring to Security Council Resolution No. 2817, which Bahrain submitted on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan, and which received the support of 136 countries.
He also condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, stressing Bahrain's solidarity with them, and warning against the threats extending to digital infrastructure, submarine cables, and artificial intelligence centers.
The UAE warns of a new confrontation
For his part, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the President of the UAE, expressed his hope for the success of the ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain the crisis between Washington and Tehran.
He said: “We hope for a diplomatic breakthrough... We do not want to see another round of confrontation,” adding: “However, as we have shown on previous occasions, we are prepared for the worst.”
Gargash stressed the importance of regional partnerships, economic integration, and respect for the sovereignty of states, warning of the continued role of armed militias in undermining stability, and calling for avoiding turning the region into an arena for settling international conflicts.
Saudi Arabia: Protecting the straits is an international responsibility
In the session “Maritime Security at a Critical Turning Point,” Naval Lieutenant General Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Ghufaili, Deputy Chief of the Saudi General Staff, stressed that the threats facing sea lanes affect the interests of all countries and require a collective response to protect international navigation and trade.
He stressed the rejection of using the straits as tools for political and military pressure, stressing that “maritime security is not the responsibility of one country, and force cannot be a substitute for the law.”
He explained that the Saudi vision is based on respecting the sovereignty of states, ensuring freedom of navigation, and rejecting attacks on civilian and military ships, calling for enhancing the exchange of intelligence information, early warning, international coordination, and developing mechanisms to reduce escalation before threats turn into crises.
He stressed that protecting sea lanes does not depend on military capabilities alone, but rather requires adherence to international law and communication between countries during crises.
The Cooperation Council... adherence to diplomacy with Iran
In a parallel Saudi-Gulf position, Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, called on the international community to oblige Iran to implement Security Council Resolution No. 2817 and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Al-Budaiwi said, during his participation in the “Gulf Gate 2026 Economic Forum,” which was held in Manama in conjunction with the conclusion of the security forum, that the GCC countries were able to contain the repercussions of the Iranian attacks on the energy, transportation, and logistics sectors, and maintain the continuity of their economic activities.
He stressed that Gulf integration has become a “strategic necessity” to confront crises, pointing to efforts to develop connectivity, transportation and energy networks, and to enhance defense and security cooperation.
French movements
At the level of international partnerships, a French military official presented during the maritime security session the features of a multinational initiative, in cooperation with Britain, to enhance the protection of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including coordination between naval forces and preparation for field tests of readiness.
The initiative aims, according to the details presented during the forum, to protect ships and deal with threats from sea mines, without meaning France’s direct involvement in the war with Iran.
Admiral Yannick Bousso, Commander of the French Joint Forces in the Indian Ocean, confirmed during the “Manama Dialogue 2026” that the navigation disturbance in the Strait of Hormuz since last February has caused damage to international trade, energy markets and supply chains, noting that the Strait, before the crisis, accommodated about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas trade.
Bossu revealed the progress of a multinational defense initiative led by France and Britain to protect navigation and confront threats from sea mines, with the participation of representatives from more than 15 countries, explaining that it reached the stage of military readiness last September, with preparations to carry out a field exercise in the coming weeks. He stressed that France is not a party to the war, and that the initiative is of a defensive nature, stressing that ensuring the security of navigation requires international cooperation and adherence to international law, and that a sustainable solution to the crisis remains dependent on diplomacy.
The closing day of the “Manama Dialogue” witnessed two sessions that dealt with maritime security and global security governance. The first, with the participation of officials from Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore and France, discussed protecting sea lanes, freedom of navigation, security of trade and energy supplies, and strengthening international coordination to confront threats.
The discussions witnessed on the closing day of the forum reflect a trend that combines strengthening deterrence and defense capabilities, and maintaining the diplomatic track with Iran, in light of a growing awareness that the security of the Gulf and the sea lanes is no longer only a regional matter, but is directly linked to the stability of the global economy.
Nabil Shamsan, the Yemeni governor of Taiz, confirmed that the city did not receive full support from international organizations, which were content with issuing statements and expressing concern, without translating that into practical steps that contribute to alleviating the suffering of the population, stressing that the solution to breaking the siege is either to retreat to what was before the war or through confrontation and military resolution.
Recent health data revealed a sharp increase in death and displacement rates in the city. Statistics obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, dated October 29, 2026, showed a significant increase in maternal deaths by 450 percent, and the number of displaced families increased from 4,721 to more than 28,000 families. These are tragic indicators that reflect the scale of the catastrophic repercussions that the siege had on the population and the health sector.
The governor of Taiz told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthi militias moved from besieging the city through three directions to encircling it from all four sides, stressing that confrontations are continuing on various fronts, and that the local authority is moving through four paths to communicate with international bodies and organizations to secure humanitarian needs, at a time when the arrival of medical aid is still dependent on identifying safe ways to enter the city.
He explained that the first path represented communication and agreement with one of the civilian groups to bring in quantities of food supplies, in addition to resuming the entry of oil and diesel supplies coming from Aden and Lahj, which were stopped a month ago, while the local authority communicated with the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has four crews loaded with treatments on the way to the city, but the route it will take to reach Taiz has not been determined yet.
Shamsan pointed to communicating with the World Food Program regarding providing food baskets or converting their value into cash amounts, in addition to obtaining support for diesel from some organizations, stressing that the main support in this aspect comes from the “King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid,” which works to cover the exit of organizations, whether international or civil society organizations whose funding has been stopped, pointing to constant communication with the political leadership in the legitimate government.
The confrontations are expanding
Regarding the military developments, the Governor of Taiz indicated that the most intense confrontations are concentrated in the districts of Sabr, Mashra’a, Hadnan, Al-Mishraq, and towards the old airport, stressing that the people of the city took upon themselves the responsibility of defending it until the last moment, and that this defense by the residents of the city is not limited to a geographical area only, but rather about the revolution, the republic, and all national gains, in the face of militias that he said came to change the national and religious identity, which the people of Taiz do not accept in any way. Some form.
Solution and condemnations
Shamsan stressed that military decisiveness with the Houthi militias is the solution to dealing with them, pointing out the need for them to first leave the areas they controlled before the last war, thus opening the door to any possible understandings.
He said that the militias are still determined to continue their aggression, through the intense mobilization of forces, and the continued targeting of the interior and exterior, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its civilian installations and sanctities.
Regarding the response of the international community, the Governor of Taiz said that the international community was content with issuing statements of denunciation and denunciation, without taking any action on the ground to stop what he described as absurdity and the crimes committed by the militias.
Returning to the health data obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat and issued by the Public Health and Population Office in the Yemeni Taiz Governorate, it indicates a decline in medical services and an increase in deaths and displacement in the besieged areas. Maternal deaths increased by 450 percent, and the number of families displaced to the siege areas increased from 4,721 to 28,100 families, while the number of individuals increased from 31,406 to 196,700 people, an increase of 84 percent.
The report showed that the total number of patients with kidney failure decreased from 1,110 patients before the blockade to 516 patients after it, coinciding with the decline in monthly dialysis sessions from 8,880 to 4,128 sessions, an indication of the widening gap in providing medical care for chronic patients and emergency cases.
Newborns
In newborn care services, the number of working incubators decreased from 160 to 78 incubators, a decrease of 51.3 percent, and the number of children benefiting from the service monthly decreased from 592 to 288 children, a decrease of 51.4 percent, while newborn deaths recorded an increase from 95 to 132 cases per month, an increase of 38.9 percent, and maternal deaths also increased from two cases to 11 case, and deaths of children under five years old range from 3 to 5 cases per month. The report attributed the worsening neonatal mortality to the depletion of stocks of fuel, oxygen, and medicines, in addition to the lack of operational expenses.
On the other hand, the total cases received by hospitals in Taiz rose to a record high, according to the data contained in the report, which linked the deterioration of health and environmental conditions to the accumulation of garbage and unclean drinking water, while pointing to the impact of the war and the continuous bombing on residential neighborhoods in the rise in surgical injuries.
Malnutrition
In the malnutrition file, the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition who were cut off from nutrition services increased from 455 to 528 children per month, an increase of 16 percent. The number of children receiving treatment in therapeutic feeding centers for severe cases accompanied by complications also increased from 36 to 45 children.
