Regional delegations meet in Tehran to discuss de-escalation amid rising tensions
Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish officials met Iranian security leaders in Tehran to seek ways to reduce the risk of renewed fighting between Iran, Israel and the United States.
High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian officials aimed at preventing a new round of hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said. The visitors, including Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, met with Tehran’s top security negotiators to discuss a possible diplomatic pathway.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters that the agenda was not yet fixed but the discussions would “undoubtedly address the most pressing threats to regional security.” Saudi officials said the delegations hoped to find “ways to de-escalate tensions, enhance regional security and promote its stability.”
Qatari mediators also travelled to Tehran on Sunday, coordinating with the United States in an effort to lower regional tensions, according to an unnamed regional official. Earlier in June, Pakistan and Qatar helped broker an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, but the deal quickly fell apart as attacks resumed.
Baghaei said Tehran had not closed the diplomatic window and that messages were being conveyed to the United States through intermediaries. He added that the United States was persisting in “unilateral demands” and that President Donald Trump and U.S. officials repeatedly used the phrase “complete surrender,” which Iran rejects.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran or its proxies could launch attacks ahead of Israel’s election, stating that the military is ready “both to defend and to strike.” Israel’s defense minister later denied reports of internal disagreements over a planned action against Iran, calling such claims “fake news.”
In Yemen, the conflict involving Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces continued to expand. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group fired ballistic missiles at Saudi-backed military sites in Aden and Lahj, while Saudi-led coalition officials reported destroying missile-storage tunnels in Houthi-controlled territory. Reports of explosions and strikes in Houthi-held areas of Sanaa, Mokha, Saada and Taiz were also noted, though independent verification was not available.