Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Hold Regional Security Talks in Tehran Amid US-Israel-Iran Conflict
Top leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are meeting Iranian leaders in Tehran today to discuss regional security and cooperation, as the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel continues to destabilise West Asia.
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir and Turkey’s Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin are holding discussions with Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
The leaders were to meet the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Iranian President left for Moscow on Monday afternoon to attend a summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, his office’s public relations director said.
The high-level engagement assumes significance as the four countries explore ways to strengthen regional security through cooperation among neighbouring states, amid growing geopolitical uncertainty and concerns over energy security.
Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the visiting officials would congratulate Rezaei on his appointment and discuss regional security.
He said the initiative originated during General Munir’s visit to Tehran last week, when the Pakistani army chief proposed a meeting involving senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.
Bagheri Kani described the discussions as an effort to establish a regional security framework without external involvement, adding that Tehran regarded the role of the United States and Israel as a source of instability.
The talks come as the conflict has placed the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of international concern. Disruptions to shipping through the strategic waterway have heightened uncertainty over oil and gas supplies and their potential impact on the global economy.
Despite the military confrontation, diplomatic channels between Tehran and Washington remain open. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that messages were continuing to be exchanged through intermediaries, although he accused Washington of maintaining unilateral demands.
Earlier on Sunday, Qatari mediators, at the behest of the United States, were in Tehran as part of an effort to ease regional tensions.
However, the prospects for a broader settlement remain uncertain. US President Donald Trump said the conflict would not end until Washington was confident that Iran no longer possessed nuclear capabilities. He also indicated that the United States was weighing a diplomatic agreement against further military action.
The military situation remains tense, with US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper visiting the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. CENTCOM said US forces had assisted more than 3,000 commercial vessels in transiting the waterway and helped Persian Gulf partners export over 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil.
Against this backdrop, the Tehran meeting represents a significant attempt by regional powers to address security challenges through direct engagement. Whether the discussions translate into a concrete framework for cooperation remains to be seen, but the participation of senior Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials signals a growing emphasis on regional coordination.
