Iran opened talks in Tehran on Monday with the other three members of the Makkah security pact: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. State television reported that the meeting covers regional issues while the months-long Middle East war remains deadlocked. Pakistan requested the gathering.
Iran’s state broadcaster said the agenda centres on regional cooperation and “the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and its consequences.” Delegates also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to photographs released by the presidential website.
Senior security officials attending the Tehran meeting
Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman would take part. He also named Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin as attendees.
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Earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that Munir was visiting Tehran. In an interview with state television, Bagheri Kani added that Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, would join the talks and attend every session.
Regional fallout from the Strait of Hormuz conflict
The talks come after nearly eight months of fighting, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February. Tehran responded by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has unsettled global markets and energy trade. An April ceasefire ended the first phase of intense bombardment.
Both sides have since continued to compete for control of the waterway, which once carried roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. The conflict has also spread across the region. Fighting has broken out between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen, who have attacked airports and oil facilities in the kingdom.
Saudi statement on de-escalation and mediation
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Dr Rayed Krimly confirmed that the kingdom’s defence minister was leading a delegation to Tehran on Monday. In a post on X, Krimly said the visit was part of ongoing efforts by the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement countries to ease tensions among the parties involved.
He said the aim was to promote dialogue and diplomatic solutions, backing mediation by Qatar and Pakistan. Iran, for its part, claims control over the Strait of Hormuz and regularly targets vessels that try to pass without its permission. The United States has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Diplomatic efforts to end the crisis remain stalled, particularly since the collapse of a June deal that had outlined a route to a lasting settlement.
