TEHRAN: Iran’s security chief said on Monday he held “very good discussions” with the three member nations of the Makkah defence pact, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, after their first meeting in Tehran.
“Very good discussions took place between us,” Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told state television after the meeting with top officials from the three countries. “I feel that a new atmosphere is emerging in the region… I sensed a very positive atmosphere in the discussions among the gentlemen.”
The meeting, proposed by Pakistan, brought together senior officials from the three countries and Iran for talks in the Iranian capital.
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Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said earlier Monday that the meeting aimed to “de-escalate between the parties to the current crisis”.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, army chief General Asim Munir and Turkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin represented their countries at the talks. They also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Rezaei said the four parties agreed that regional security should be ensured by countries in the region rather than outside powers.
“The outcomes we agreed on were that security in the region where we live should be endogenous, meaning it should be achieved by the countries themselves,” he said.
“We must prevent any kind of foreign intervention in this region,” he added.
The meeting came more than eight months after the Middle East war began on February 28, with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military figures.
The conflict spread across the region, including attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh has accused Tehran of involvement in the attacks, while Iran has said the Houthis make their own decisions.
The talks also came amid concerns that the United States could resume military action against Iran.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington “may do another little Epic Fury”, referring to the US-Israeli campaign launched on February 28.-AFP
Nuzhat Nazar adds from Islamabad adds: Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrived in Tehran for another high-level diplomatic engagement, as Pakistan steps up efforts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East amid growing US-Iran tensions and an increasingly volatile regional security environment.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a brief statement, confirmed that the Field Marshal was undertaking an official visit to Iran but did not provide details of his engagements.
The visit comes less than a week after his previous trip to Tehran on October 20, during which Iranian leaders conveyed that Washington must take the first steps towards rebuilding trust, while Tehran’s seven-point proposal could serve as a basis for renewed negotiations.
Earlier, Field Marshal Munir met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei during his previous visit.
The discussions focused on exploring possibilities for reviving negotiations between Washington and Tehran, although no formal breakthrough was announced. Iranian officials reportedly reiterated that Tehran would not make concessions under pressure and expected the United States to honour earlier understandings.
Monday’s visit assumes greater diplomatic significance as representatives of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have gathered in Tehran for four-nation consultations aimed at strengthening regional security cooperation.
According to Iranian state media, the consultations involve Field Marshal Munir, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, alongside senior Iranian officials.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for greater regional unity and a coordinated approach to emerging security challenges during the meeting, which comes against the backdrop of escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The consultations also mark an important diplomatic engagement between Iran and the three signatories of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in August.
Field Marshal Munir had also visited Tehran on August 24, accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to break the deadlock in the US-Iran conflict.
During that visit, discussions centred on preventing further military escalation, reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and pursuing a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
The Iranian leadership appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts towards de-escalation and regional stability. Pakistan’s Foreign Office subsequently clarified that the visit had been undertaken in Islamabad’s capacity as a mediator, rather than as an envoy of Washington.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026