Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi called for a non-aggression security pact among the eight Gulf states including Iran, arguing that excluding Tehran creates an inherently unstable regional security structure. The proposal coincided with high-level talks in Tehran between Iranian officials and leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan—members of the Mecca Alliance. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan are striving to broker an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid growing fears of renewed US military strikes against Iran.
Omani Foreign Minister advocates regional pact
- ▪Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi stated at Cambridge University on October 26, 2026 that regional security arrangements are inherently unstable without Iranian participation and that external reliance on the United States should end.
- ▪Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi advocated during an October 26, 2026 speech at Cambridge University for a regional non-aggression pact encompassing Iran, Iraq, and the six Gulf Cooperation Council member states.
- ▪Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi asserted on October 26, 2026 that America's 50-year policy of framing Iran as a regional threat has hindered local security solutions.
Tehran multilateral talks on regional security
- ▪The October 26, 2026 talks in Tehran marked the first official group meeting between members of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement and Iranian leadership.
- ▪Pakistani military chief Asim Munir, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, and Saudi defense minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and national security chief Mohsen Rezaei
- ▪Iranian state media reported that officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan agreed during October 26, 2026 talks in Tehran to continue dialogue and bolster regional security cooperation.
- ▪The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated that the October 26, 2026 Tehran meetings aimed to support Qatari and Pakistani mediation, de-escalate regional tensions, and prevent military escalation.
Qatari and Pakistani diplomatic mediation
- ▪Pakistani military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Iran during the week before October 26, 2026 to hold diplomatic talks with senior Iranian officials.
- ▪A Qatari delegation conducted diplomatic negotiations in coordination with the United States to reduce regional military tensions
Mecca Joint Defense Agreement
- ▪Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August 2026, establishing a mutual defense pact where an attack on one member state is treated as an attack against all.
- ▪Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan stated that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed in August 2026 was defensive and not targeted at any specific state.
Diplomatic efforts regarding the Strait of Hormuz
- ▪Qatar and Pakistan lead diplomatic mediation to secure an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to restore free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
- ▪Iran proposed a seven-day plan at the UN General Assembly to permit maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz provided the United States lifts its naval blockade and unfreezes Iranian overseas assets.
- ▪Oman and Iran formulated a tentative traffic management framework for the Strait of Hormuz, which remains unimplemented pending mutual US-Iranian compromise and lifting of blockades.
- ▪Diplomatic negotiations regarding the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled due to disputes over sequencing and United States demands that Iran transfer its 440kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium offshore.
Iranian military strategy and threats
- ▪Iran increased its attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz to create economic uncertainty while reducing the intensity of missile and drone strikes.
- ▪Iran threatened to target regional data centers affiliated with the United States and Israel and sabotage undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz if subjected to a new military offensive.
United States military plans against Iran
- ▪United States officials reported on October 26, 2026 that sufficient military forces are deployed in the Middle East for potential combat operations against Iranian assets following upcoming United States midterm elections.
- ▪United States officials stated on October 26, 2026 that potential new military operations against Iran would expand beyond limited strikes against easily reconstituted assets like radars and launchers.
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