First Tehran Meeting Brings Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey Together on October 26
Key Facts
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held their first quadrilateral meeting in Tehran on October 26, 2026, and participants agreed to continue dialogue to strengthen cooperation, including on peace and security in the region, according to a joint statement carried by the Islamic Republic News Agency. The meeting was hosted by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. It was attended by Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. The meeting provides a direct channel of dialogue among the four countries as their delegations seek to discuss regional security. But the statement announced only that dialogue would continue and did not mention creating a formal framework or a new mechanism for cooperation.
Statements ahead of the meeting outlined the security issues the delegations would discuss. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the talks would address “the most pressing threats to regional security.” The Associated Press quoted Saudi Arabia as saying the delegations hoped to find “ways to reduce tensions, strengthen regional security and support its stability.” In a separate statement, Riyadh said its delegation’s visit aimed to encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions and support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan. The kingdom presented that objective as the purpose of its visit amid a broader regional crisis.
The talks came amid concerns that fighting could resume between Iran, Israel and the United States. The agency said high-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey arrived in Tehran on Monday to meet Iranian officials and try to avert a resumption of fighting in the war. On issues discussed in the talks, the Associated Press quoted regional officials as saying the war in Yemen and attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi Arabia were also on the agenda. That places Gulf and Yemen security alongside broader tensions between Tehran and its adversaries in the context of the meeting. The statement gave no details of specific understandings on these issues.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian set out Tehran’s position on expanding regional cooperation, saying Iran supported any agreement that deepened cooperation among countries in the region and helped resolve differences. He added that his country backed greater use of the shared resources and capabilities of Islamic countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, warned that renewed attacks on Iran would destabilize the region and harm countries not involved in the conflict. The statements highlight the breadth of concerns surrounding the meeting, but do not announce a new agreement among the parties. The announced outcome remained the continuation of quadrilateral dialogue.
Earlier diplomatic efforts have had mixed results. Pakistan and Qatar helped reach an agreement in June 2026 aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, ending a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and starting talks on a broader settlement. But the agreement quickly faltered as attacks resumed, according to the Associated Press. Riyadh’s stated move to support Qatari and Pakistani mediation comes against the backdrop of that attempt, while the current meeting brings the four parties together in a shared dialogue process. The statement did not say the meeting revived the June agreement or approved arrangements concerning the strait.
The process also includes the Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey on August 7, 2026. The agreement says an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all three, according to the Associated Press. However, the agency said the full text of the agreement had not been published and that command and operational structures were still being developed. This distinguishes the trilateral defense track from the quadrilateral meeting, which included Iran, as Tehran’s statement did not say the meeting was part of the Mecca agreement. The statement also did not mention expanding the agreement or changing its arrangements.
Participants agreed to continue dialogue, but did not announce a date or location for another meeting. The Associated Press said the statement gave no details on the date or location of a subsequent gathering. The next announced step therefore remains continued communication among the four countries, with no published timetable. No announcement was made of a follow-up mechanism or a specific technical meeting. The outcome puts continued dialogue at the forefront of what emerged from the meeting, while follow-up arrangements remain undisclosed.