Dubai, 27 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Iranian Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Tuesday, a day after holding talks with representatives of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan aimed at easing regional tensions. Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since succeeding his father, who was killed in March, stressed the importance of protecting Iran’s national interests and maintaining Tehran’s conditions for ending the war, according to Iranian state media. Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan visited Tehran on Monday in an effort to help de-escalate the Middle East conflict, which began after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February. The meeting marked the first high-level contact between Iran and the three countries since they signed the Mecca mutual defence pact in August. The conflict has also drawn Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement into direct confrontation. Iranian state media reported that Rezaei and Khamenei discussed regional security, maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz and strengthening bilateral relations with neighbouring countries. An Iranian official said that Iran’s nuclear programme was not discussed during Monday’s talks and would remain off the agenda until Tehran’s conditions for ending the war were met. Iran has rejected Western concerns that its nuclear programme is intended for military purposes. Tehran’s demands include an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports and the lifting of American sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance has said that Iran must reduce its nuclear enrichment activities as part of efforts to end the conflict. The diplomatic engagement comes amid continuing tensions and growing regional efforts to find a path towards de-escalation.