Mecca Pact diplomats meet in Tehran to avert wider regional conflict

Middle Eastern diplomatic efforts intensified on Tuesday, 27 October, as representatives from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey—members of the Mecca Pact—met with Iranian officials in Tehran to negotiate a de-escalation of the ongoing military standoff between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The high-level talks focused on securing a potential US-Iran agreement to prevent a wider regional conflict while addressing threats to aviation and maritime trade. Aviation Disruption and Flight Cancellations Regional air travel remains heavily impacted by the security situation. Etihad Airways confirmed on Tuesday that all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and Abu Dhabi and Dammam, are cancelled through Thursday, 5 November. Selected services to Jeddah, including flights EY601 and EY603, are also suspended until the same date. Emirates reported that its codeshare operations with flydubai to Tel Aviv remain suspended until further notice. In Dubai, flights to Jeddah are scheduled to resume on 30 October, while services to Riyadh and Dammam are expected to restart on 8 November. Data from Cirium shows the scale of the disruption: approximately 45.1% of scheduled Saudi departures—totalling 7,802 flights—were cancelled between 8 October and 25 October following Houthi missile and drone strikes on King Khalid International Airport. Operations by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE remain suspended. Maritime Security and Oil Market Impact The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)…