Iran hosts Saudi Arabia and regional powers as fears grow of return to war

Saudi Arabia and its allies dispatched top security officials to Iran for talks on Monday amid fears of a fresh US-Israeli offensive that could plunge the Middle East into further instability.

Pakistani military chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin joined Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, in Tehran for meetings with Iran’s top officials, including national security chief Mohsen Rezaei and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said the visit by Prince Khalid and representatives of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement countries was part of ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions between parties to the current crisis, encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions, and support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan.

The ministry said the kingdom was looking for “positive and practical engagement” from the parties involved. It stressed the importance of opening channels of negotiation to prevent a return to military escalation in the region and pave the way for an agreement that ends the crisis and achieves security and peace.

The meeting in Tehran was held at a tense moment in the Middle East as speculation grows that President Donald Trump could order new strikes on Iran after next week’s midterm elections. It also marks the first high-level contact between Iran and Saudi Arabia since Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis escalated attacks against Saudi targets last month.

A statement released by Iranian state media said the four countries agreed to continue dialogue and bolster cooperation to support security and peace in the region.