Tehran (GNP): Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Iran have agreed to continue a four-way dialogue on regional peace and security after senior military, defence and intelligence officials met in Tehran.
A joint statement from the Iranian side said the four countries would maintain dialogue to strengthen regional cooperation, including on peace and security.
The decision matters because it brings Iran into direct consultation with the three countries that signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August. Contact is no longer limited to separate bilateral channels.
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, travelled to Tehran with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Türkiye’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin. Munir is believed to have proposed the meeting, which was hosted by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Major General Mohsen Rezaei. The delegations also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Speaking to the media after the talks, Rezaei said the meeting had created a new and positive atmosphere in the region. He said the visiting officials believed regional challenges could be resolved through cooperation among the four countries.
The meeting took place at a tense moment, with the situation involving Iran, the United States and Israel still unsettled. Security concerns linked to Yemen and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia added to the pressure. It also followed renewed efforts by Pakistan and Qatar to keep communication open and prevent further military escalation.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement that the visit formed part of efforts by the Makkah agreement countries to reduce tensions and promote dialogue and diplomatic solutions. It said the effort supports the mediation led by Pakistan and Qatar. Riyadh added that it hoped the parties concerned would respond positively and practically to the outcome of the Tehran meeting.
The ministry also stressed that opening negotiating channels is essential to prevent a return to military escalation. In its view, this can pave the way for an agreement that ends the crisis.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the talks offered a chance to discuss regional developments and ways to deepen cooperation among the four countries. Iranian officials described the gathering as a step towards an indigenous regional security framework.
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President Pezeshkian called for greater unity among Muslim countries and closer coordination on security threats. He said regional agreements should deliver practical results and not remain confined to diplomatic documents.
Iranian officials also raised Palestine and Lebanon, along with what Tehran calls Israel’s destabilising policies. Public statements, however, did not disclose any specific agreement on these issues.
For Pakistan, the meeting is another step in strengthening its regional diplomatic role. Islamabad is balancing its strategic ties with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye against its relations with neighbouring Iran. It is also working with Qatar to facilitate dialogue over the confrontation involving Iran and the United States. The talks followed Munir’s recent visit to Iran, which underlines the Pakistani military leadership’s growing role in managing ties between the two neighbours.
The Makkah agreement commits Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to closer defence cooperation. It also provides for collective action if any of them comes under attack. By pursuing tighter security coordination among themselves while opening a channel to Tehran, the three countries show the careful calculations shaping diplomacy in the Middle East.
Rezaei said, “Security in West Asia must be internally generated, and foreign interference must be prevented.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
