Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish delegations hold talks in Tehran aimed at averting renewed war; Iran says it will defend itself

High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held meetings in Tehran on Monday 26 October aimed at averting renewed fighting, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said, according to The Times of Israel. The three countries are signatories of what the report called the Mecca Defense Pact.

Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey’s intelligence service, were due to meet Iran’s top security officials and negotiators to push for a deal between Tehran and Washington. Two regional officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the war in Yemen and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia were also on the agenda.

Saudi Arabia said in a statement that the delegations hoped to find “ways to de-escalate tensions, enhance regional security and promote its stability”. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the agenda was not set, but that the talks would “undoubtedly address the most pressing threats to regional security”, including what he called “the US military aggression” and Israel’s actions. He said it was “a positive thing” that regional countries were seeking security mechanisms based on their own interests.

Asked whether Iran was planning attacks, Baghaei said Iran “will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right to self-defense to protect Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence”. A regional official said Qatari mediators, working in coordination with the US, had also travelled to Tehran on Sunday.

Background: The war between Iran and the US and Israel began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February. Pakistan and Qatar helped broker a deal in June for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and for the US to end its blockade of Iranian ports; it unravelled when both sides resumed attacks. On Sunday Baghaei said Iran was still exchanging messages with the US through intermediaries. See also: Iran tells Pakistan’s army chief no enriched uranium will leave the country and CNN reports Netanyahu sought a joint strike on Iran.