HELD amid the threat of a renewed US-Israeli attack on Iran and escalating conflict in the Arabian Peninsula, the meeting between Iranian leaders and members of the Makkah Defence Alliance was deeply significant — though it remained unclear whether the talks had produced any major breakthrough. The quadrilateral meeting reportedly discussed “regional cooperation, the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and its consequences”, among other topics.
It was the first high-level contact between Iran and all of the alliance’s members since Saudi Arabia was drawn deeper into its conflict with the Houthis. The gathering came days after a brief visit to Tehran by Pakistan’s army chief, during which he reportedly proposed the meeting — a suggestion Iranian leaders responded to positively.
That visit was essentially a part of Pakistan’s mediatory efforts to restart the stalled peace talks between America and Iran, and a response to the latest flare-up in the region. Since the collapse of a brief ceasefire reached in April, the United States has imposed an economic blockade on Iran in an attempt to force it to capitulate. It has not. Iran has kept control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas used to flow.
The diplomatic efforts of Pakistan and Qatar have so far failed to break the stalemate. The main stumbling block to resuming peace talks has been President Trump’s insistence that Iran give up its enriched uranium stockpile. Iran has refused, insisting that the US must end its naval blockade and start negotiations on the seven points that overlap with the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. Iranian leaders have repeatedly declared that “not a single particle of enriched nuclear material” would leave Iran.
Regional peace can be ensured only through a regional security architecture.
Tensions rose further with reports of a possible joint US-Israeli attack on Iran before the US midterm elections. According to American media, Israel had been pressing Trump to resume airstrikes before Israel’s own general elections, which were held yesterday. There are still indications that Trump could restart military action after the American midterms on Nov 3.
Iranian officials warned last week that if Iran were attacked again, its forces would widen their targets to data centres and underwater internet cables in the region.
The situation has grown more volatile with the escalation of the Saudi-Houthi conflict. The Yemeni rebel group, which now controls a large part of the country and Bab al-Mandeb, a critical chokepoint on the Red Sea, has repeatedly struck key Saudi installations.
Against that backdrop, the visit by senior Saudi officials to Tehran stands out as a significant outreach at a time of profound tension between the two countries, with Saudi Arabia absorbing near-daily attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis. The kingdom was represented by Defence Minister Prince Khalid — the brother and trusted envoy of the crown prince.
His decision to travel to Iran under such conditions signalled that the Saudi leadership wants to avert another round of hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran, which could bring Iranian retaliatory strikes on American interests and installations in Saudi Arabia while the kingdom is still battling the Houthis.
For Iran, the presence of senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan has been symbolically important: Iranian officials are eager to sideline the US from regional security and diplomatic arrangements. Iran’s president expressed hope that the talks could help consolidate “regional unity and cohesion”.
For all the positivity, the central question remains whether the meeting could bridge the gap and help prevent a new round of US-Israeli aggression against Iran and, more importantly, de-escalate the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
No joint statement was issued, but individual comments since have been encouraging on the possibility of a broader regional security mechanism. Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, seemed satisfied after meeting officials from the three countries. “Very good discussions took place between us,” he told Iranian state television. “I feel that a new atmosphere is emerging in the region. ... I sensed a very positive atmosphere in the discussions among the gentlemen.” Iranian officials are also hopeful that the meeting could be a prelude to further steps towards shaping “endogenous security — an issue that we have been insisting on for decades”.
The four countries have “agreed to continue discussions to strengthen cooperation … including on regional peace and security”. Indeed, the Tehran meeting was the most significant development yet that could help de-escalate the regional conflict. But the major question remains whether such emerging cooperation can prevent a fresh American-Israeli attack on Iran.
The reported reinforcement of American forces in the region, together with Israel’s continued genocidal war in Gaza and military action in Lebanon, poses the biggest threat to regional and global peace. The continued presence of American bases and troops in the Gulf countries has made their security far more vulnerable.
Most concerning is the escalating Saudi-Houthi conflict, which could trigger a wider conflagration and draw other countries into it. Iran could certainly play an important role in reaching a truce. The escalation could also hand Israel an opportunity to blunt resistance to its expansionist designs. Given Trump’s threatening rhetoric, there is a strong possibility that he will resume attacks on Iran after the midterm elections; the one thing that could stop him is the Republicans losing their majority in both the House and the Senate. And whatever the outcome of the Israeli general elections, there is no indication that the defeat of Netanyahu would change the policy of the Zionist state in any significant way. The divisions among regional countries give Israel complete impunity.
The quadrilateral meeting in Tehran and Iran’s positive response are certainly good omens. But the sources of tension remain that will not be easy to resolve, and the gap has yet to be bridged. It is vital that the Gulf countries refuse to let their soil be used for American aggression. Regional security can be ensured only through a regional security architecture. The Tehran meeting has provided an important opening for any such cooperation.
The writer is an author and journalist.
X: @hidhussain
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2026
