High-level diplomatic delegations from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan met with leaders in Tehran on Monday in an effort to defuse tensions and prevent a broader war in the Middle East. The talks, which Tehran described as very good, are aimed at preventing renewed fighting between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
The diplomatic push follows heightened rhetoric and warnings from Washington, Tehran, and Israel that hostilities could restart in an eight-month war, amid reports that the U.S. and Israel are drawing up plans to renew their war on Iran. Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei stated that regional security should be achieved by the countries themselves and that foreign intervention must be prevented. While Iran maintains that diplomacy remains possible, it has rejected U.S. demands for surrender.
Officials, including Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, also discussed how Iran could persuade Houthi rebels in Yemen to end crippling missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabian infrastructure. These talks mark the first high-level contact between Iran and the bloc since the Houthis escalated their attacks, during which the rebels claimed to have closed Riyadh airport and inflicted heavy damage on the Saudi economy.