The airstrike, said to have targeted a Hamas leadership meeting in Doha, not only struck at the host country but also damaged the processes of mediation and regional multilateralism. It quickly revealed that Arab and Islamic states, when faced with a direct threat to sovereignty, consider the option of “mere diplomatic protest” insufficient. The immediate diplomatic moves and the announcement of emergency sessions suggest that Doha and other capitals are seeking to shape a response that goes beyond condemnations, aiming to create a deterrent capacity that can feed into a pragmatic security architecture for the region.

Tehran’s Opportunity to Reframe Its Position and Build Regional Convergence

The announcement that Iran’s president will attend the emergency summit, along with Tehran’s supportive messages to Doha, provides a strategic opportunity to reframe the policy of convergence with neighbors and to demonstrate a practical will to support Palestine. Tehran can use this window to speak of regional military, economic and political cooperation mechanisms — not as slogans, but through presenting concrete proposals for joint frameworks, including intelligence, defense and mechanisms to counter sanctions and external pressures. If backed by regional players, such initiatives could give rise to a unified front built on “mutual indigenous trust.”

Redefining Trust in Washington; Strategic Realism

The broad presence of Islamic leaders in Doha and their open criticism of the probable role or inactivity of Western allies — especially the ineffectiveness of Western defense systems — highlights a strategic question: is continued reliance on external guarantees (above all from the United States) a rational policy for safeguarding national and regional security? Recent experience shows that, at least in this historical moment, some governments are perceiving the inability or lack of commitment from extra-regional partners. The logical outcome is a turn towards regional capacities and the design of independent, practical solutions. This redefinition of trust does not necessarily mean severing ties, but rather a shift in priorities towards regional convergence and strengthening indigenous deterrence.

Gaza; Standard-Bearer of Legitimacy and the Axis of Unity

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has become the foremost unifying factor for the Islamic world — one that can transcend the level of sentiment and form the basis of practical policy. If the Doha summit, instead of repeating condemnations, delivers an actionable package that includes facilitating humanitarian aid, targeted economic pressure, coordinated diplomatic mechanisms, and a joint defense-intelligence plan, then the standing of the Islamic world in the international system could be strengthened. This would make the campaign to break Gaza’s siege and pressurize the occupying regime yield more tangible results. A practical focus on Gaza is precisely the ground on which political unity can be translated into operational capability.

A Practical Strategy from the Doha Summit for Regional Security

The Doha summit is an opportunity for Islamic and Arab countries to move beyond the customary statement-reading and draft a practical roadmap to counter the aggressions of the Zionist regime. This strategy rests on four main pillars:

Turning statements into tangible actions: designing and implementing a coordinated program that includes political, economic and security responses to create effective deterrence against the regime’s aggressions.
Regional military and intelligence cooperation: establishing joint defense mechanisms and intelligence sharing among states to enhance collective security.
Humanitarian and diplomatic support for Palestine: providing immediate aid to Gaza and breaking the siege through coordinated diplomatic pressure mechanisms against the aggressor regime.
Strengthening the Islamic world’s standing in the international system: managing the regional and global narrative, and showcasing the practical unity of Islamic countries as an influential, independent power.

This operational framework can transform the Doha summit from a merely symbolic, statement-driven event into a turning point for regional security and stability, while reinforcing a genuine strategy of convergence in the Islamic world.