Tehran Talks Continue Amid Houthi Strikes

Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan concluded meetings in Tehran on Monday by agreeing to continue discussions on regional peace and security. The accord was announced late in the day as the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a fresh wave of attacks by the Houthi movement in Yemen.

The gathering marked the first high-level contact between Iran and the other three nations since the conflict expanded. The three non-Iranian parties had signed the Mecca mutual defense pact in August. Their participation in the talks in Tehran aimed to open negotiating channels to prevent a return to military escalation.

Saudi Arabia sent Prince Khalid bin Salman, the kingdom's defense minister and the younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pakistan was represented by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, while Turkey sent Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei attended the sessions on the Iranian side.

According to a senior Pakistani security official speaking to Reuters, the agenda included building a regional non-aggression network. Discussions also covered US-Iran negotiations, Houthi attacks on Saudi targets, the status of the Strait of Hormuz, and the US blockade of Iranian ports. Another Pakistani official stated that Field Marshal Munir, with President Donald Trump's blessing, presented a proposal to Iran that offered terms acceptable to both Washington and Tehran.

Hours after the joint statement was issued, Colonel Turki al-Maliki, a coalition spokesman, detailed the latest intercepts. He said three ballistic missiles aimed at Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province were shot down without casualties. Four drones heading toward the kingdom's south were also destroyed. The coalition confirmed that three additional drones were downed over Riyadh and southern Saudi Arabia on Monday evening.

The Houthi attacks come amid a sharp rise in tensions between the United States and Iran. President Trump stated on Friday that the US may strike Iran again. While Pakistan and Qatar had mediated an interim peace agreement in June, fighting between Iran and the US resumed shortly after. The conflict then spread to a new front between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

Last month, Houthi forces seized strategic areas along Yemen's Red Sea coast in a rapid offensive, prompting a Saudi counteroffensive. The Houthis have since targeted Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities. An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300. On Monday, the group claimed further strikes on the airport and oil pumping stations, which the coalition said were intercepted.

Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, described the meeting as a potential first step toward regional security arrangements. Mohsen Rezaei stated that the visit demonstrated that American threats have little impact on the region and noted a new positive atmosphere. Egypt's parliament also authorized its military on Monday to assist in defending Saudi Arabia.

Mohsen Rezaei