Tehran meeting: promising diplomacy or crisis management? On Monday, October 26, senior officials from Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia arrived in Tehran. The delegation of the three countries consisted of Khaled bin Salman, the Saudi defense minister and brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Asim Munir, the commander of the Pakistani army, and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization. They met with Iranian President Massoud Al-Badishian and Mohsen Razai, the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security. This is the first high-level contact between the Islamic Republic and members of the Mecca Treaty. This defense treaty was signed in August 2026 between the three countries, according to which an attack by any of the members is considered an attack on all of them. Pakistan ratified the agreement last week, and the Turkish parliament has begun the process of ratifying it. This trip took place in a situation where tensions between Iran and America reached their peak again. There has been speculation about the possibility of a US and Israeli military attack on Iran, especially after the mid-term elections for the US Congress in mid-November. In recent days, Trump has repeatedly talked about the possibility of war, and Iranian officials have also warned that Tehran's response will be stronger against any new war. They even threatened to damage submarine internet cables in the Persian Gulf. A day before the quadrilateral meeting, a delegation from Qatar left for Tehran as part of the mediation. In recent months, Pakistan has played the role of a central mediator between Iran and the US. These efforts led to a temporary agreement in June 2026, which lost its effect after a short period of time. At the same time, the civil war in Yemen intensified and the counterattacks of Saudi Arabia and the Houthis increased. The Houthis have so far attacked Saudi Arabia's main airports, oil facilities and military bases. Saudi Arabia seems to have openly walked into this meeting. Raad Karmali, the assistant minister of state for public diplomacy in the country, described the purpose of the trip as: "reducing tensions, encouraging dialogue and diplomatic solutions and supporting the mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan."

Tehran meeting: promising diplomacy or crisis management? On Monday, October 26, senior officials from Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia arrived in Tehran. The delegation of the three countries consisted of Khaled bin Salman, the Saudi defense minister and brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Asim Munir, the commander of the Pakistani army, and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization. They met with Iranian President Massoud Al-Badishian and Mohsen Razai, the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security. This is the first high-level contact between the Islamic Republic and members of the Mecca Treaty. This defense treaty was signed in August 2026 between the three countries, according to which an attack by any of the members is considered an attack on all of them. Pakistan ratified the agreement last week, and the Turkish parliament has begun the process of ratifying it. This trip took place in a situation where tensions between Iran and America reached their peak again. There has been speculation about the possibility of a US and Israeli military attack on Iran, especially after the mid-term elections for the US Congress in mid-November. In recent days, Trump has repeatedly talked about the possibility of war, and Iranian officials have also warned that Tehran's response will be stronger against any new war. They even threatened to damage submarine internet cables in the Persian Gulf. A day before the quadrilateral meeting, a delegation from Qatar left for Tehran as part of the mediation. In recent months, Pakistan has played the role of a central mediator between Iran and the US. These efforts led to a temporary agreement in June 2026, which lost its effect after a short period of time. At the same time, the civil war in Yemen intensified and the counterattacks of Saudi Arabia and the Houthis increased. The Houthis have so far attacked Saudi Arabia's main airports, oil facilities and military bases. Saudi Arabia seems to have openly walked into this meeting. Raad Karmali, the assistant minister of state for public diplomacy in the country, described the purpose of the trip as: "reducing tensions, encouraging dialogue and diplomatic solutions and supporting the mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan."