Saudi Arabia urged talks to avert renewed regional fighting Monday as it sent its defense minister to Tehran with Pakistani and Turkish officials, a day after missile debris injured two people in the kingdom.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the visit would support mediation by Qatar and Pakistan and help the parties reach an agreement to end the crisis. It urged a constructive response to the visit’s outcomes and the continuing mediation effort.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman traveled with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Türkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. They were due to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said he expected the talks to address Palestine, Lebanon, Israel’s expansionist policies and the regional effects of U.S. military action against Iran. He presented the meeting as a possible step toward broader regional security cooperation.
The visit comes as Iran has accused Washington of dictating negotiating terms.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on Aug. 7. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry says the pact treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all three. A joint committee established under the agreement has backed de-escalation and peaceful resolution of crises.
Saudi Civil Defense said debris from two missiles intercepted on Oct. 25 injured two people in Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah. It said three residential buildings and seven vehicles were damaged and blamed the Houthis for launching the missiles.
Saudi Arabia previously welcomed a June 15 U.S.-Iran agreement calling for an end to military operations and detailed negotiations over 60 days. The Associated Press reported that the agreement quickly unraveled.
The Saudi and Iranian accounts set out goals for the Tehran visit but announced no agreement or date for U.S.-Iran negotiations.
