Quartet meeting in Tehran signals push for a new regional order
By Delaram Ahmadi
Staff writer
On Monday, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held a four-way meeting in Tehran attended by senior security and military officials from the four countries. The talks focused on regional security and stability, recent developments in the region, and joint cooperation. The meeting came amid growing concerns over the possibility of a renewed war against Iran. Speaking to Iran Daily, international affairs expert Hassan Beheshtipour said that, given the current climate of heightened threats and the possibility of conflict, the talks could send a positive message that regional countries are working together to establish a new regional order. Such cooperation, he added, could make it more difficult for outside powers to exploit the prevailing regional climate to pursue warmongering policies.
IRAN DAILY: What were the objectives of the Tehran quartet meeting, and what were the main issues discussed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey?
BEHESHTIPOUR: The meeting's main objective was to help establish stability and security at a time when all the news and reports were pointing toward war. The overall atmosphere was being shaped in a way that suggested a new war was about to break out.
Then, seemingly, an initiative emerged. According to Reuters, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir proposed during his visit to Tehran that a four-way meeting be held there to help find new solutions.
In my view, the initial objective was to initiate a dialogue through which these four countries, all of which play a significant role in regional security, could help normalize the situation. The second objective was to continue the talks with a view to potentially establishing joint security cooperation.
Naturally, this kind of cooperation does not come about overnight. Significant steps must be taken beforehand to lay the groundwork.
Under the current circumstances, marked by threats and the risk of conflict, these talks can send a positive message that regional countries are seeking to establish a new regional order through cooperation. They are working to strengthen ties among themselves in order to consolidate peace and security in the Persian Gulf and West Asia.
Can this meeting pave the way for the establishment of structured and lasting regional security arrangements, or is it a temporary initiative to manage the current crisis?
These two objectives are not mutually exclusive. To establish a new regional order, stability and security must first be created. A new order cannot take shape amid insecurity and conflict.
The process must begin with certain measures, the most basic of which are meetings like this one. These involve direct dialogue among influential regional countries and the development of solutions that safeguard the interests of all countries in the region. This, in turn, can help establish common interests. Once these shared interests have taken shape, the groundwork can be laid for a new regional order.
Given the continuation of the conflict in Yemen, to what extent can this meeting help ease tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis?
Threats against Saudi Arabia have increased recently, but Riyadh is unwilling to change its policy toward Yemen. Ultimately, Saudi Arabia itself holds the key to improving its security situation. The country shares a border of around 1,300 kilometers with Yemen, and its interventions there have contributed to a conflict that has continued since 2015, for more than 11 years. The Saudi government has yet to reconsider its policy on Yemen.
Pakistan and Turkey have aligned themselves in an effort to help Saudi Arabia ensure its security. But when can they make an effective contribution? They can do so when Saudi Arabia has stopped intervening in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia claims that its presence in Yemen is intended to safeguard its own security. However, its involvement has extended beyond its borders, reaching as far as Sanaa and areas in the south. This has inevitably created problems.
The fact that the parties have come to Tehran to discuss the issue with Iran, and that the Iranian side may also help resolve the problems between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, suggests that this issue was certainly among the items on the agenda.
However, it is important to understand that Ansarullah in Yemen do not simply wait to see what Iran says to act accordingly. An examination of their conduct from the beginning of the conflict to the present shows that their actions have been based on the conduct of the Saudi side.
When Saudi Arabia recognized their independence and territorial integrity, they agreed to sit down with them at the negotiating table and adjusted their behavior. When it did not do so and instead launched attacks, they fought back.
The Houthis are not a group that takes orders from Iran. They are Iran's allies and maintain very close relations with Tehran, much like Hezbollah in Lebanon. But this does not mean that they follow Iran in everything. They also pursue their own particular interests.
This is similar to the relationship between allied countries: they can cooperate very closely on many issues while still having differences of opinion in certain areas.
Was the Tehran meeting linked to US and Israeli threats against Iran, and can these consultations help ease tensions and prevent a war?
The likelihood of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran after November 3, following the US congressional elections, is very high. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has still not learned the lessons of the two previous wars and continues to beat the drums of war.
Two factors are particularly important. The first is the outcome of the October 27 elections in Israel and whether Benjamin Netanyahu will remain prime minister. Netanyahu's government is a driving force behind the tensions, and if it loses, one of the factors pushing for a new war in the region would effectively be removed.
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