Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan Hold Emergency Talks in Iran Amid Fears of Renewed War

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan held rare, high-level talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday in an urgent diplomatic effort to prevent renewed fighting with the United States and Israel amid mounting concerns over another round of military strikes.

The joint diplomatic mission brought Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin to Tehran’s Saadabad Palace, where they met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohsen Rezaei, the powerful secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

The three visiting countries signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, establishing a collective defense arrangement under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Monday’s meeting marked their first joint high-level engagement with Iran since the Iranian-backed Houthis intensified missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, targeting the kingdom’s airports and energy infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia said the mission was intended to prevent another round of military escalation and to support ongoing mediation by Qatar and Pakistan, with its Foreign Ministry calling for efforts to “de-escalate tensions between the parties to the current crisis” and pursue diplomatic solutions.

The four countries concluded the meeting with an agreement to continue discussions on regional peace and security, according to a joint statement, but announced no breakthrough toward resolving the disputes threatening to reignite the war.

The talks followed a separate visit to Tehran on Sunday by Qatari mediators working in coordination with Washington as regional governments intensified efforts to prevent another round of fighting. The New York Times reported that the mediators had proposed a five-day framework involving reciprocal steps by the United States and Iran.

Under the proposal, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping while Washington lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, with mediators also pressing Tehran for an initial concession on its nuclear program. The negotiations have been complicated by disagreements over which side must act first.

The confrontation also continues over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran’s armed forces chief claimed Monday that Tehran maintained complete control of the waterway and that vessels could transit only under Iranian regulations. The assertion contrasts with U.S. Central Command’s announcement Sunday that American forces had assisted more than 3,000 merchant vessels navigating the strait over the preceding six months.

Tehran has resisted the nuclear concessions sought by Washington, insisting that the American blockade and restrictions on Iranian oil exports be lifted before negotiations over its nuclear program can proceed. Last week, Rezaei went further, declaring that “not a single particle of enriched nuclear material” would leave Iran.

Pezeshkian welcomed efforts to strengthen regional cooperation Monday but reiterated Tehran’s insistence on pursuing nuclear activities under what it claims are its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran, a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism, has enriched uranium to 60 percent purity — far beyond levels required for civilian nuclear power — while the International Atomic Energy Agency has raised serious concerns over Tehran’s failure to meet its nuclear safeguards obligations.

The diplomatic push comes amid fears that renewed American or Israeli strikes could trigger another wave of Iranian retaliation against neighboring Gulf countries, several of which have already faced attacks during the conflict. Iranian officials have also threatened to target regional infrastructure, including data centers and undersea communications cables, if military operations resume.

Those concerns have intensified as Washington prepares options for another major military campaign against Iran. CNN reported Monday that American forces could launch a large-scale operation within 96 hours of an order from President Donald Trump, with potential targets including military installations, energy infrastructure, and nuclear facilities.

Trump has not authorized the operation and has reportedly ruled out strikes before the U.S. midterm elections, leaving open the possibility of military action afterward.

The president underscored the approaching decision Sunday, telling Fox News that the choice was whether to reach an agreement with Tehran or resume military action. “Do I make a deal with them or do I finish them off? That’s the only question,” Trump said.

Trump also renewed his endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday’s Israeli election, urging voters to return him to office so the two countries could “finish the job that we started” against Iran.

Saudi Arabia faces a more immediate threat from Iran’s Houthi proxies in Yemen, who have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at the kingdom targeting civilian airports, oil facilities, and other critical infrastructure as fighting intensifies.

Even as Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid met Iranian leaders in Tehran, the Saudi-led coalition announced fresh strikes against Houthi military infrastructure in Yemen, saying it destroyed five ballistic missile storage tunnels, four launchers, and an additional missile storage facility.

Saudi authorities also reported intercepting a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh and three drones on Monday, while the Houthis claimed fresh attacks against the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline and Riyadh’s international airport. Saudi officials had not confirmed those specific Houthi claims.

The widening threat has also drawn in Egypt, whose parliament authorized the deployment of military forces to help defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks, although no troop deployment has been announced.

Diplomatic efforts are expected to continue Tuesday in Moscow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Pezeshkian and Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on the sidelines of an international energy summit.

Monday’s talks ended with a commitment to further dialogue, but Iran’s refusal to yield on key nuclear demands and Washington’s continuing military preparations left the central confrontation unresolved — with neighboring governments facing the prospect of another devastating round of fighting.