Iranian press review: Calls grow to maintain military pressure on Gulf states

Iranian press review: Calls grow to maintain military pressure on Gulf states Submitted by MEE correspondent on Thu, 07/02/2026 - 09:58 Mothers mark Ashura by mourning children killed in protests, lawmakers challenge Ghalibaf over suspension of parliament, and the national football team is praised abroad but criticised at home The sun sets over a vessel off the coast of Dubai on 2 June 2026 (AFP) Off Military pressure is key to Gulf trade deals, says analyst A younger generation of analysts close to Iran's ruling establishment says the only way to reach trade deals with the Arab states of the southern Gulf is to maintain military pressure on them. The group has gained more space to express its views after many senior Iranian political and military figures were killed in this year's US-Israeli war on Iran. Speaking on a television roundtable, Majid Shakeri, an analyst close to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said there was no way to secure a practical trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) without continued military pressure.