RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in a quadripartite ministerial meeting in Antalya alongside his counterparts from Egypt, Pakistan and Turkiye, the Saudi foreign ministry said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Prince Faisal discussed the situation in the region, according to the ministry’s statement on social media.
They also welcomed Pakistan’s mediation efforts and endeavors to reach a permanent ceasefire between the US and Iran, in a manner that contributes to deescalating tensions and spares the region and the world the serious security and economic repercussions of war, according to the ministry.
The US and Israel began a military assault on Iran on Feb. 28, engulfing the region in deadly missile and drone attacks and disrupting global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said on Friday that it had lifted its blockade across the vital strait for the duration of a ten-day truce between Israel and Lebanon, that came into effect on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump said despite the strait reopening the US will continue to block ships going to and from Iranian ports.
But, twin breakthroughs in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz have raised hopes of a permanent end to the conflict.
Reopening the strait has been a key US demand in peace talks brokered by Pakistan, while Iran has insisted on the current two-week ceasefire being widened to include Lebanon.
Both aims have now been achieved, and Donald Trump said on Friday that a peace deal with Iran was all but done. “We’re very close. Looks like it’s going to be very good for everybody. And we’re very close to having a deal,” the US president said.
There were “no sticking points at all” left with Tehran, he said. “This process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated.”
US-Iran talks led by Vice President J.D. Vance last weekend in Pakistan failed to produce a deal, but Trump has repeatedly hinted that a breakthrough was close. He said on Thursday that Iran had agreed to give up its uranium stockpile, that a second round of talks in Islamabad was likely, and that he himself might go to Pakistan to sign an eventual deal.
“The US will get all nuclear ‘dust’ created by our great B2 bombers, Trump said, and he denied reports that the US and Iran were negotiating a plan that would include Washington releasing $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in return for Iran giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium.
“No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form,” Trump said.
He thanked Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar for their “great bravery and help” after Iranian strikes on the region, and congratulated Pakistan’s “fantastic” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and powerful army chief Asim Munir on brokering the Iran negotiations.
