Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran's Security Council, met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei following a round of diplomatic talks with officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The outreach, Iran's first high-level engagement with these three countries since fighting broke out in February, focused on de-escalating tensions in the Middle East stemming from US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
What Happened in the Meeting
According to available reporting, Khamenei told Rezaei that advancing Iran's national interests and preserving conditions favorable to ending the war should remain the government's priority. The meeting is notable in part because Khamenei has not made a public appearance since March, a gap that has drawn attention from regional observers even as Iranian officials have not offered a detailed public explanation for his absence from view.
Regional Talks and Core Issues
The discussions with Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials reportedly centered on practical security matters, including safeguarding passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global energy shipments, and strengthening Iran's ties with neighboring states. An Iranian official indicated that Tehran does not intend to place its nuclear program on the negotiating table until specific demands are met first.
- Lifting the US naval blockade affecting Iranian ports
- Ending sanctions that restrict Iranian oil exports
These conditions suggest Iran is treating economic and military pressure points as prerequisites for any broader settlement, rather than negotiating items to be traded simultaneously.
The US Position and What Remains Unclear
US Vice President JD Vance has said that any resolution would require Iran to scale back its uranium enrichment activity, signaling a gap between Washington's conditions and Tehran's stated preconditions. It remains uncertain how these positions might be reconciled, and no timeline for further talks has been confirmed. The scope and outcome of the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani discussions have not been fully detailed in public statements, and Khamenei's prolonged absence from public view continues to raise questions that Iranian authorities have not directly addressed.