Tehran hosts regional envoys as oil prices hover near $115

Tehran, Iran. Senior delegations from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan arrived in the Iranian capital on Monday to hold talks aimed at preventing renewed fighting in the ongoing Middle East conflict. The meeting marked the first joint visit by the three nations to Tehran since they formed a defense alliance in Mecca in August. The groups met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The international benchmark for crude oil, Brent, traded around $115 a barrel early Monday. Prices rose last week due to supply concerns and the approach of winter demand in the Northern Hemisphere. This spike occurred as the conflict in the region continued to strain global energy markets.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence head Ibrahim Kalin led the regional delegations. Iranian state media reported that the meeting ended without concrete announcements, but the parties agreed to continue discussions. Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, described the talks on state television as "very good." He stated that a new atmosphere was emerging in the region and that security should be achieved by regional countries to prevent foreign intervention.

In a separate incident, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center reported a vessel on fire off the coast of Iraq on Monday. The ship was located 63 nautical miles from Al-Faw, a coastal town between Iran and Kuwait. The agency classified the incident as suspicious activity and noted that the status of the crew and the extent of damage remained unknown. Authorities advised ships transiting the area to proceed with caution.

Saudi air defenses intercepted three ballistic missiles and three drones over the kingdom on Monday. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said the missiles were launched by Houthi rebels toward the Eastern Province and Riyadh. The Houthi group has targeted Saudi Arabia for weeks in retaliation for the kingdom's role in the Yemen war.

Meanwhile, Kuwait sentenced three men to death on Monday for allegedly plotting to assassinate the deputy prime minister. The three Shia Muslim men were accused of collaborating with Iran and joining Hezbollah. The court also sentenced 11 other individuals connected to the case to five years of hard labor. The convictions follow a series of arrests in Gulf countries since the war began in February.

Iranian President Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Moscow for the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit. He plans to hold bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Pezeshkian said the discussions will focus on securing energy transit routes and addressing insecurity in the Middle East.