Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan hold talks with Iran to avert renewed regional war

Tehran hosted talks on Monday between officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan in an effort to prevent the Middle East war from intensifying, with Iran's officials describing the discussions as "very good". Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir, and Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin participated in the talks, according to a Saudi foreign ministry statement.

The meeting followed warnings from the United States, Iran, and Israel about the potential rekindling of hostilities in the eight-month war. This was the first joint visit to Tehran by the three countries since they formed a defense alliance in August.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were among those present during the meeting, which concluded without any concrete outcomes and with participants agreeing to continue discussions. Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, commented positively on the atmosphere of the talks, noting a "new atmosphere" in the region.

Rezaei emphasized that security in the Middle East should be achieved by individual countries and that foreign intervention, including Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon, southern Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank, must be prevented.

The talks coincided with a period of rising tensions, as Israel prepares for a crucial election on Tuesday and the United States' midterms next week, where Republicans seek to maintain control of both chambers of Congress. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to avoid any escalation in the Middle East, warning of the risks associated with an overwhelming military attack on Iran or vice versa.

Saudi security analyst Hesham Alghannam expressed the meeting as "possibly the last chance before the situation spirals out of control."

The Gulf country of Saudi Arabia has faced numerous attacks from Iran-backed Houthis recently, including a recent attack on the capital's international airport. In response, Egypt's parliament approved President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request for defensive military support for Saudi Arabia if requested. While the specifics of the support are unclear, US-Iran mediation efforts have been spearheaded by Qatar and Pakistan.