Saudi, Turkiye, Pakistan discuss regional situation in Tehran

Top defence officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan on Monday jointly met Iran’s Supreme National Security Council’s Secretary Mohsen Rezaei in Tehran to discuss the regional situation, amid escalating tensions in the region.

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Munir jointly met Major General Rezaei, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported. “The talks will focus on regional security, the fallout from military aggression, and support for Palestine and Lebanon,” the channel said.

The quadrilateral meeting comes amid fears that escalating tensions in the region could draw more countries into the fighting. The meeting also comes amid raging tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis in recent weeks, with the Iran-backed group claiming attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and military sites. Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting missiles and drones targeting the kingdom.

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB shared a video of the meeting, saying the quadrilateral meeting on “regional security and stability” had begun.

The video showed Field Marshal Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi sitting with Rezaei, Araghchi, Prince Khalid and Kalin.  This is Munir’s second trip to Tehran within a week, amid indications that the US might be preparing for another round of fighting with Iran.

According to the Supreme National Security Council’s Deputy Secretary Ali Bagheri, the quadrilateral meeting was proposed by Pakistan.

Hours earlier, Bagheri had said that “senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye will travel to Tehran as part of efforts to implement the idea of endogenous security in West Asia.”