Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan agree further talks on regional security

Senior security officials from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan held talks in Tehran on Monday and agreed to continue dialogue on regional peace, even as Houthi forces fired three ballistic missiles and four drones at Saudi Arabia overnight.

The meeting — the first high-level contact between Iran and the three nations since a war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen — brought together officials who are also parties to the Mecca mutual defence pact, signed in August. Saudi Arabia sent its defence minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, a younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pakistan dispatched army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Turkey sent its intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei attended on the Iranian side.

A joint statement said the four countries agreed to continue dialogue, stating they aimed "to strengthen cooperation amongst the four regional countries" and for peace and security in the region. Saudi Arabia said the visit was intended to open negotiating channels and "prevent the return of military escalation".

Hours after the talks concluded, coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said three ballistic missiles aimed at Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province had been intercepted with no casualties, and that four drones headed towards the kingdom's south had also been shot down. The coalition had earlier downed three drones over Riyadh and southern Saudi Arabia on Monday evening before the talks concluded. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.

A senior Pakistani security official told Reuters the agenda covered building a regional non-aggression network, US-Iran negotiations, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the Strait of Hormuz and a US blockade of Iranian ports. A second Pakistani official said Field Marshal Munir, acting with US President Donald Trump's backing, presented Iran with a proposal intended to offer something to both Washington and Tehran, though details were not disclosed. The Mecca pact states, along with Qatar, could act as guarantors if the proposal were accepted, the official said.

Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the visit demonstrated that "American threats have little impact on countries around the world" and pointed to a "new and positive atmosphere" in the region.