This study investigates the geopolitical and geoeconomic dimensions of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) in 2026, operating as a structural systemic variable re-engineering regional interactions, with a specific and intensive focus on its direct impacts on Gulf-Iranian relations. The primary objective is to deconstruct the dilemma of Iran’s “strategic exclusion” from global connectivity routes and examine how the Gulf sub-system’s units (specifically Saudi Arabia and the UAE) respond to safeguard their comprehensive developmental security amidst high regional fluidity and uncertainty. To achieve these goals, the study adopts a comparative methodology to highlight the variations in foreign policy operational tools, combined with geopolitical analysis to link geographic transformations with the balance of power, utilizing systems analysis as a theoretical framework to interpret how the regional order processes global systemic pressures. The study concludes with crucial findings: IMEC transcends its logistical identity to function as a tool for strategic repositioning, deepening the security dilemma and amplifying isolation concerns for Iran, which conversely attempts a functional linkage between this exclusion and regional maritime security. Meanwhile, the analysis demonstrates that Gulf powers have avoided zero-sum conflicts, producing rational outcomes based on pragmatic, complex strategic hedging to cool surrounding crises and secure their trillion-dollar national developmental projects. The study recommends institutionalizing flexible regional economic-security arrangements to absorb global project repercussions and accelerating Gulf investments in digital ports and land infrastructure to secure critical supply chains and technological sovereignty.