An Iranian official said on Monday that senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan will visit Tehran for talks over regional security, without specifying when the meeting would take place.
"As agreed, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will participate in this meeting," said Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
He said the meeting will be held with Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei.
"This four-party meeting in Tehran could represent an important and effective step towards building lasting regional security, and we hope this initiative will contribute to establishing a stable region," said Kani in an interview with state television, without elaborating.
He did not specify when the meeting would take place but said it was proposed during a visit by Pakistani army chief Asim Munir to Tehran last week.
War has engulfed the Middle East since February when the United States and Israel launched a wave of surprise attacks on Iran, while Washington and Tehran were in the midst of negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme.
An April ceasefire brought an end to the initial phase of intense bombardment but the two sides have continued to vie for control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel.
Iran has since claimed control over the strait and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt to cross without its authorisation, while the United States has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Diplomatic efforts with the US remain stalled, especially since the collapse of a June deal which laid out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict.
The war has since spread across the region to include fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
