Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to keep talking after missile strikes

Four Middle Eastern powers agreed on Monday to extend their diplomatic contact regarding regional security.

The accord was reached during a meeting in Tehran, the first high-level session between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan since the current conflict expanded beyond the initial strikes on Iranian soil. The three nations, joined by Qatar, had signed the Mecca mutual defence pact in August.

The Saudi-led coalition reported that it intercepted a fresh wave of attacks from the Houthis during the same period. Colonel Turki al-Maliki, the coalition spokesman, stated that three ballistic missiles aimed at the Eastern Province were shot down without causing casualties. He added that four drones heading toward the south were also destroyed.

Al-Maliki reported that three additional drones were downed over Riyadh and the southern regions on Monday evening. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the interceptions.

Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's defence minister and younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, led the Saudi delegation to Tehran. Pakistan sent Field Marshal Asim Munir, its army chief, while Turkey sent Ibrahim Kalin, its intelligence chief. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei attended the sessions.

A senior Pakistani security official told Reuters that the discussions centered on creating a regional non-aggression network. The agenda also included the US-Iran negotiations, the Houthi strikes, the Strait of Hormuz, and the US blockade of Iranian ports. The official noted that Munir presented a proposal to Iran, reportedly with the blessing of US President Donald Trump. The plan would offer concessions to both Washington and Tehran, with the Mecca pact states potentially acting as guarantors.

Mohsen Rezaei, the Iranian security chief, said the visit demonstrated that American threats have limited impact on the region. He described the current climate as a new and positive atmosphere. Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, had previously stated that this meeting could serve as a first step toward broader regional security arrangements.

The diplomatic push occurs as tensions between Washington and Tehran rise. President Trump said on Friday that the US may strike Iran again. A previous interim peace agreement mediated by Pakistan and Qatar in June had collapsed when fighting resumed, leading to a new front between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis seized strategic Red Sea coastal areas from Saudi-backed forces last month, triggering a counteroffensive. They have since attacked Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities. An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300, marking the deadliest incident on the kingdom in over a decade.

Earlier on Monday, the Houthis claimed attacks on the Riyadh airport and crude oil pumping stations in the west and east of Saudi Arabia. The coalition said it intercepted those missiles and launched retaliatory strikes, destroying five missile storage tunnels, four launchers, and a depot. The conflict has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and increased oil and petrol prices. Egypt's Parliament authorized its military on Monday to help defend Saudi Arabia.

Prince Khalid bin Salman said the Tehran visit aimed to prevent a return to military escalation. The four nations agreed in a joint statement to continue dialogue to strengthen cooperation for peace and security in the region.