Iran's neighbors are actively seeking to prevent a new war and are making multiple diplomatic trips to Tehran. These movements reflect their concerns about the consequences of insecurity in the region.
Increased Diplomatic Traffic
The joint visit of the Saudi Defense Minister, the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, and the Head of Turkey's Intelligence Organization to Tehran, along with diplomatic contacts from Qatar and Doha negotiations, is a sign of the intense efforts by regional countries to prevent a new round of conflict. These countries are worried about the consequences of a new war for their economies and security and are looking for a way to contain the crisis and bring Tehran and Washington closer to an agreement.
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Bitter Experiences of the Past
The experience of the twelve-day war in June 2025 and the forty-day war that followed has shown regional countries that the confrontation between Iran, the United States, and Israel has consequences beyond the borders of the involved parties. Insecurity in trade routes, disruption of energy exports, and increased import costs are among the repercussions that neighbors have inevitably borne the cost of.
Hamidreza Azizi, a senior analyst on Iran at the International Crisis Group, believes that the visit of senior officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan to Tehran indicates that countries that have failed to contain the costs of war are now trying to play a more prominent role in ending the conflict through more direct involvement in the diplomatic process.
However, Mohsen Rezaei, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, claimed that discussions in these meetings focused solely on regional security and did not touch upon the "Mecca Agreement" or the issue of Yemen. Yet, reports published in Western media indicate that broader topics, including the possibility of reaching an agreement between Iran and the United States, were also discussed.
Ultimately, the bargaining power of the neighbors depends on the level of coordination among them. Disagreements and rivalries among these countries can make it difficult to form a common position and challenge the implementation of any agreement. As a result, although a shared concern about the consequences of war has pushed regional countries towards greater diplomatic activity, their limited capacity and differing viewpoints mean that the gap between this shared concern and the formation of sustainable cooperation for establishing a new security order remains significant.
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