Saudi prince in Tehran, US First Lady acts as mediator – day digest

Saudi Prince in Tehran, US First Lady as Mediator — Daily Digest

On October 26, high-ranking officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met with Iranian leadership in Tehran.

According to Reuters, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani Army Commander Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin arrived in Tehran. They held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaee.

Riyadh stated that the visit aimed at opening channels of negotiation to "prevent a return to military escalation." A Pakistani official said Munir had received permission from Trump to try a diplomatic path and offered Iran a solution. This proposal considers the interests of both the US and Iran. If the plan is accepted, the Mecca Pact states and Qatar could serve as guarantors. Iran, meanwhile, emphasized that the nuclear program issue was not discussed.

Mohsen Rezaee stated that this visit showed that "American threats have little effect on the countries of the world." According to him, a "new and positive atmosphere" is emerging in the region.

The meeting coincided with a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. Last week, Trump said the US could strike Iran again. Iranian security officials, meanwhile, announced that they had drawn up plans to attack submarine cables in the Persian Gulf in such an event. On the same day, the Houthis claimed to have attacked a Saudi oil pipeline and Riyadh airport, while the Egyptian parliament approved military aid to Saudi Arabia.

However, some analysts are skeptical about long-term results. This is because the Houthis have their own calculations, and Iran's influence over them is not absolute.

Russia and Ukraine introduced a local ceasefire regime in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky in the Kherson region. This is necessary to deliver humanitarian aid to the city and evacuate the population. The regime came into effect on October 27 at 03:00 local time. Both sides confirmed this.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had ceased fire in the Kherson direction. The Ukrainian Ombudsman also confirmed that Kyiv is complying with the agreement. However, independent media could not verify whether the fighting has actually decreased.

According to the White House, US First Lady Melania Trump mediated the agreement. Under the plan, doctors, medicines, food, and drinking water will be delivered to the city first, followed by the opening of evacuation corridors. According to a Kremlin spokesperson, all civilians wishing to leave will be allowed to do so. The evacuation itself will take at least several days.