Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan met in Tehran on Monday with the aim of preventing the resumption of war in the Middle East with Iran. These negotiations come as Egypt has also approved military support for Saudi Arabia.
Diplomatic Talks in Tehran
The officials from the three countries, members of the Mecca Agreement, traveled to Iran to reduce ongoing tensions and crises. The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated that these talks are aimed at "reducing tensions among the parties involved in the current crisis." Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi Defense Minister, was also present at these discussions.
Read more: Kuwait: Three Arrested for Selling Electronic Cigarettes to Students
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has faced repeated attacks from the Houthis of Yemen, who are aligned with Iran, in recent weeks. One of these attacks was a missile strike on Riyadh International Airport, which resulted in 13 fatalities.
Regional Consequences and Concerns
Regional tensions have increased, especially ahead of the Israeli elections and the U.S. midterm elections. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, stated at a press conference in Cairo that it is essential to halt any escalation in the Middle East. He warned that a combination of a strong military attack on Iran and an Iranian military attack on Gulf countries must be avoided at all costs.
Khalid bin Salman, the Chief of the Pakistani Army, General Asim Munir, and the head of Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin, are set to meet with Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran's National Security. This historic meeting in Tehran may be the last chance to prevent the escalation of the crisis. Hashim al-Ghanam, a Saudi security analyst, stated in a post on social media platform X that these efforts aim to create a pathway for reducing tensions.
In response to the repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian parliament has approved President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's request for military defense support for Saudi Arabia. Egypt, with the largest military force in the Arab world, including fighter jets and air defense systems, has hundreds of thousands of active personnel, but specific details about the type of support have not been provided.
U.S. and Iran mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan continue. A Qatari delegation traveled to Tehran on Saturday. Andreas Krieg, a risk analyst in London, stated that Khalid bin Salman’s presence in Tehran is highly significant and described him as "a prominent strategist for Saudi Arabia."
Read more: Seven Arrested in Connection with Homebrew Factory in Kuwait · Iran Pursuing New Objectives in Confrontation with the United States and Israel
