Can food security help forge Iran-GCC ties?

Al-Monitor Pro Members

Dr. Bijan Khajehpour

Managing Partner, Eurasian Nexus Partners, Vienna, Austria

Nov. 9, 2023

Shifting attitudes to food security have the potential to turn the agricultural and food sectors into the main platform for greater trade and investment between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iran. On the one side, Iran needs investment in a number of subsectors to provide food security for its population. On the other side, the GCC is looking to mitigate the impact of existing US sanctions on its planned commercial interaction with Iran. A growing collaboration pattern in the food sector will also provide opportunities for confidence building, facilitate a greater security dialogue regarding soft security topics and lead to the identification of relevant solutions that will benefit the entire region.