Tehran, 26 October. Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, at their first meeting in this format in Tehran, agreed to continue dialogue to strengthen cooperation, including for peace and security in the region, according to a joint statement issued after the talks.
The meeting was hosted by Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and attended by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Turkey was represented by National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin, Saudi Arabia by Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Pakistan by Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir. The make-up of the delegations is telling: the agenda was military and intelligence as well as diplomatic. The talks covered regional security, Israel's activities in the region and the situation in Palestine and Lebanon.
According to Iran's Foreign Ministry, the idea for the meeting came up during Munir's visit to Tehran and was welcomed by the Iranian side. The Saudi side described the talks as a meeting between countries of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and Iranian officials. "We have reached an understanding with Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia that the security of the region is achieved through its countries," Rezaei told Iranian state television.
The statement gives no dates or format for future meetings. The published text contains no specific agreements, whether on halting strikes or on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
What it means: Saudi Arabia and its defence-pact partners Pakistan and Turkey sat down with Iran as a foursome for the first time and agreed to keep talking. It is an attempt to keep the region from a new round of fighting, but so far without concrete commitments.
Who benefits: Iran, which gains recognition as a participant in regional security; Saudi Arabia, under attack from the Houthis, which gets a direct channel to Tehran; Pakistan and Turkey, which take on the role of mediators. The global oil market gains from any lower risk of disruption in the Gulf; for Kazakhstan this matters through the price of Brent, to which the Kazakh CPC Blend grade is linked.
Background: The meeting took place against the backdrop of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the war of the United States and Israel with Iran that began on 28 February, and what data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, reported by Reuters, show to be the worst month for attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters.
We have also reported that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey were heading to Tehran for security talks.
