A rare diplomatic meeting in Tehran offered a route to de-escalation even as Washington prepared for the possibility of renewed strikes on Iran. Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iranian leaders for the first high-level contact among the four countries since the war began, and agreed to continue talks on regional peace and security.
Saudi Arabia said its defense minister’s visit was intended to open negotiating channels and prevent a return to military escalation. The discussions included Houthi attacks, the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran said the nuclear program was not on the agenda and that it would not discuss it until its demands for ending the war were met. The meeting’s outcome was continued dialogue, not a deal.
The urgency was underscored by the fighting around Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claimed attacks on Riyadh airport and pumping stations on the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline; Saudi Arabia did not confirm those claims. Egypt’s parliament authorized President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take “all necessary measures” to help defend Saudi Arabia, but no deployment was ordered and no formal Saudi request for Egyptian troops had been announced. The vote marked a potential widening of the conflict, even as regional officials sought to contain it.
Washington’s military planning pointed in the opposite direction. U.S. forces in the Middle East were reported ready to launch potentially major operations against Iran within 96 hours of an order from President Donald Trump. Possible targets included military assets and energy infrastructure. But Trump had not made a decision, and officials indicated that any renewed campaign was more likely after the U.S. midterm elections on November 3. Reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pressed for a joint strike before Israel’s election on Tuesday were denied by his office; Israel’s defense minister also said there was no intention to start an attack before the vote. Which means there was.
Another front opened in southern Syria, where Jordan said its air force struck armed groups it linked to a deadly church attack in Jordan. Syrian civil-defense officials said at least seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed. Jordan said its operation was coordinated with Damascus, which denied prior coordination. Syria closed its main border crossing with Jordan after the strikes, disrupting a key route for passengers and trade
