Istanbul meeting: seven foreign ministers on the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz

The foreign ministers of seven countries are meeting in Istanbul on Friday, 23 October 2026, to discuss the war between the Islamic Republic and the United States, the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. It is the first joint meeting of the quartet of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt with three European countries, Britain, France and Germany, and it is hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

According to a Turkish diplomatic source, the agenda includes the Strait of Hormuz, developments in Yemen, the Palestinian question and efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Fidan is expected to back Saudi Arabia's security against Houthi attacks and to call for a permanent return of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb; Ankara, at the same time, says the tension between Washington and Tehran can only be resolved through dialogue.

The Mecca defence pact and Houthi attacks

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are members of the Mecca joint defence pact, under which an external attack on one member is considered an attack on all three. The three countries agreed on 31 August to set up a joint secretariat, and the pact's defence committee approved on 5 October the preparation of forces for rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia. The four countries of the group condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia on 11 October and backed Riyadh's countermeasures. Egypt's parliament is also due to decide on 26 October on sending troops in support of Saudi Arabia.

The meeting takes place as attacks on ships and energy facilities in the region continue. On Thursday, Aramco evacuated its headquarters building in Dhahran after Houthi attacks, and the attack on King Fahd Airport in Dammam left two people dead.

The Islamic Republic's position

Abbas Araghchi, the Islamic Republic's foreign minister, has said that a seven-day proposal for the return of normal shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has been sent via Qatar, but he has made its implementation conditional on Tehran's demands being met; he had earlier also said that the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed without an agreement with the United States. Araghchi claims the Houthis do not take orders from Tehran and that the Islamic Republic is ready to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the group. The Anadolu news agency has reported that Pakistan's army chief asked Tehran to use its influence to stop Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure.

The presence of three European countries alongside Saudi Arabia's regional allies shows that a broader front is taking shape to contain the threat of the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces on the region's waterways; a front that, alongside US and Israeli military pressure, is isolating the Islamic Republic ever further.

The first joint meeting of three European countries and four regional powers has put the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi attacks at the centre of the talks.