Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish Delegations Hold Talks in Tehran to Head Off Renewed War

High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian authorities, Iran's Foreign Ministry said. The aim of the visits is to prevent a fresh round of fighting in the Iran war.

The meetings come as many people in Iran fear a return to all-out conflict. Israeli and American leaders have sharpened their warnings ahead of elections in both countries, while Iran's leadership has stayed defiant.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey's intelligence service, met Iran's senior security officials and negotiators. They pressed for an agreement between Tehran and Washington. Two regional officials, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to brief reporters, said the war in Yemen and Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia were also on the table. A Saudi statement said the delegations hoped to find ways to de-escalate tensions and promote regional stability.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said no formal agenda had been set, but the talks would "undoubtedly address the most pressing threats to regional security." President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran backs any agreement that deepens regional cooperation, resolves differences and makes better use of the shared resources of Islamic countries. Qatari mediators also visited Tehran on Sunday, coordinating with the United States, a regional official said.

Pakistan and Qatar helped broker a deal in June meant to see Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, end a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and begin negotiations on a broader settlement covering Iran's nuclear program. The arrangement fell apart quickly as both sides resumed attacks.

Israel votes on Tuesday, and the U.S. midterm election is on Nov. 3. Baghaei said over the weekend that Iran had not closed the door to diplomacy and that messages were being passed to Washington through intermediaries. He accused the United States of clinging to unilateral demands and repeatedly using the phrase "complete surrender," which he said no Iranian accepts.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated a warning, citing intelligence, that Iran or its proxies might attack before the close election in order to disrupt it. "You will suffer disproportionate blows far greater than you can imagine," he said in a video statement. Israel's Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu clashed with his military chief of staff over an instruction to take an action the army feared could quickly restart the conflict. Netanyahu's office called the report "fake news," and Defense Minister Israel Katz said there was no intention to attack Iran before the election, though Israel would respond forcefully if attacked. Asked whether Iran was planning attacks, Baghaei said only that Israel is "highly skilled at carrying out false-flag operations" and that Iran would defend its sovereignty.

Yemen has become a widening front in the war, which began in February. The Houthis are increasingly striking Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognized government. Fighting intensified after government and Saudi-led coalition forces bombed Sanaa International Airport in July, breaking a 2022 ceasefire.

Early Monday, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group fired ballistic missiles at government military sites in Aden and Lahj provinces, claiming casualties and destroyed equipment without offering evidence. The Associated Press could not verify the claim. Residents reported explosions in Sanaa and along the Red Sea coast, and in Mokha, which the Houthis recently seized, residents said rockets hit buildings including a hospital. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed five missile storage tunnels and four launchers in Houthi territory. Separately, Egypt's parliament approved a request from President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to provide military support to Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks.