Mediators Meet in Turkey for US-Iran Peace Push
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- Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia held their third "quad" meeting Friday at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum to coordinate efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war, with Pakistan having hosted last weekend's peace talks as the main mediator.
- Saudi Arabia is being brought "inside the tent" because of its influence on the Trump administration and its status as a key stakeholder in any future peace deal, reducing the risk it plays a spoiler role.
- Saudi Arabia has shifted its public and private positions on the war several times, U.S. officials said: publicly supporting diplomacy before the war while privately urging U.S. military action.
- In recent days, Saudi officials told U.S. counterparts they were concerned about ending the war before Iran's regime was sufficiently weakened, even as they told mediators they support a deal because their oil and energy infrastructure was damaged and could face further attacks.
- President Trump told reporters Friday that talks with Iran would continue over the weekend, saying any differences would be "straightened out," though sources said gaps remain on key issues despite significant progress.
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia's dual messaging—publicly backing diplomacy while privately urging military action and recently expressing concern about ending the war prematurely—signals the kingdom is hedging its bets and could complicate peace negotiations. With Trump claiming differences will be "straightened out" and gaps still remaining on key issues, the Saudis' alignment with mediators versus their private counsel to the U.S. may prove pivotal to whether a deal materializes.
