Four-Way Meeting in Tehran Opens Channel to De-escalation as Gulf Risks Grow

Key Facts

Officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held a four-way meeting in Tehran to discuss regional security and stability, in a diplomatic move Riyadh said was intended to open negotiating channels to prevent a return to military escalation. The Saudi delegation included Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, according to the Associated Press. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said the delegations hoped to find ways to reduce tensions and strengthen regional security and stability. The ministry added that the visit aimed to open negotiating channels that would prevent military escalation from resuming. The meeting came as the repercussions of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran spread across the Gulf region, according to Tasnim. The participation of officials at this level places the meeting in the context of direct efforts to contain tensions between Tehran and three countries with which it signed a mutual defense agreement.

The meeting’s agenda had not been set in advance, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, who said the talks would address the most urgent threats to regional security. Tasnim reported that the meeting was held at Pakistan’s proposal and with Iran’s approval, making Islamabad a party to arranging the meeting as well as a participant. Iranian spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described the meeting as a “practical step” toward establishing regional security based on shared interests. He said the meeting could pave the way for further consultations and cooperation among countries in the region. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said his country supported agreements that strengthen regional cooperation, resolve disputes and mobilize the shared resources and capabilities of Islamic countries. The remarks highlight an approach focused on building regional cooperation, at a time when no specific list of meeting topics has been announced.

The meeting was the first high-level contact between Iran and the three countries that signed the Mecca mutual defense agreement since the war spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the agreement in Mecca in August. It stipulates that an armed attack on one party is to be considered an attack on all three, according to the Associated Press. Saudi Arabia and Turkey have said the agreement is defensive and does not target Iran or any other country. That position adds important context to the Tehran meeting: The three countries acted within a mutual defense framework while saying that the framework is not directed against Iran. Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Raed Kremeidy said the talks also aimed to support mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan. These links show the meeting bringing together a direct channel between Tehran and its neighbors with broader efforts to contain the crisis.

Regional issues raised included the war in Yemen and attacks on Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthis, according to two regional officials who spoke to the Associated Press. Reuters reported that the Houthis launched new attacks on Saudi Arabia as the talks were taking place. On 26 October, the Saudi-led coalition command said it had destroyed 5 tunnels used to store ballistic missiles and 4 launch platforms in an operation inside an area controlled by the Houthis. These developments link diplomatic tensions to a direct security issue for Saudi Arabia, alongside the war in Yemen. Baghaei said sustainable and reliable security in the region could not be achieved without trust among its countries, and that stability depended on those countries’ capabilities, will and security considerations. His remarks put trust and regional coordination at the center of the discussion, while Yemen and attacks on Saudi Arabia remain among the issues under consideration.

One track of mediation between the parties dates back to June, when Pakistan and Qatar helped reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, end the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and begin negotiations on a broader settlement of Iran’s nuclear program. But the agreement quickly collapsed as attacks resumed, according to the Associated Press. This track helps explain why Qatari and Pakistani mediation featured in Saudi statements on the Tehran meeting, and links de-escalation to shipping security in the strait. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that Tehran had not closed the door to diplomacy and that messages were being conveyed to the United States through intermediaries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said the military was ready to defend and strike, warning that Iran or its proxies could launch an attack before the Israeli election. Messaging and mediation channels remain open amid mutual warnings of a renewed confrontation.