Foreign ministers from eight countries called for diplomatic solutions to escalating Middle East conflicts, warning that military confrontations and threats to key shipping routes could deepen humanitarian suffering and disrupt global trade.
The ministers met in Istanbul on Oct. 23 for the first session of the expanded R4+E3 format, bringing together Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia with France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the talks focused on the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Houthi attacks in Yemen and threats to maritime security.
The meeting marked the sixth foreign ministers' gathering of the R4 Group, established in 2026 to promote regional ownership of Middle East security challenges. It was the first to include France, Germany and the U.K., collectively known as the E3, alongside Italy.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud represented the R4 Group. European participants included French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
The expanded meeting followed separate consultations among the four R4 members. The ministers also held bilateral discussions and later met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In a joint statement, the eight countries said they had discussed regional and international security challenges and pledged to support diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability. They also highlighted the economic and trade consequences of the conflicts, particularly the risks to critical maritime routes.
Diplomacy over military escalation
Fidan said after the meeting that military intervention in Iran would not resolve the crisis, adding that none of the participating countries currently supported such action.
The ministers called for dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further escalation in the conflict involving Washington, Israel and Tehran. They stressed the need to protect civilians, civilian infrastructure and commercial vessels, while backing efforts to reach a lasting negotiated settlement.
The R4 Group's separate statement welcomed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and ongoing diplomatic initiatives aimed at containing tensions.
The ministers also underscored the importance of freedom of navigation, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for global energy shipments. They warned that disruptions to maritime traffic could threaten international supply chains and the movement of energy, food and fertilizer, with disproportionate consequences for vulnerable populations.
They rejected restrictions on lawful navigation and called for the swift restoration of safe and uninterrupted passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, another vital shipping corridor connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, also featured in discussions over maritime security and attacks on commercial vessels.
Strong condemnation of Houthi attacks
The R4 ministers condemned what they described as an unacceptable escalation by Yemen's Houthi militia, citing attacks against Saudi Arabia, civilian infrastructure and commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
They expressed solidarity with the internationally recognized Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia, calling on the Houthis to immediately end military operations, threats and attacks.
The ministers also urged the group to return to the political process in good faith, warning that continued hostilities were worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
The issue carries broader regional implications, as insecurity around the Red Sea and surrounding waterways threatens commercial shipping and international trade.
Call for Palestinian statehood and end to Israeli violence
The R4 Group's statement identified Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories as a fundamental source of instability in the region and beyond, arguing that Israeli policies had reinforced perceptions of injustice internationally.
The ministers called for the implementation of a two-state solution in accordance with relevant U.N. resolutions, reaffirming the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
They demanded an end to Israeli violence, settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, settler attacks and efforts to change Jerusalem's legal and historical status.
The statement also called for an end to the destruction and humanitarian suffering in Palestine, emphasizing the need for uninterrupted aid deliveries and reconstruction in Gaza.
The eight-nation gathering placed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict alongside the Iran crisis and maritime security as interconnected challenges requiring sustained diplomatic engagement.
Türkiye seeks wider diplomatic coordination
The meeting came amid mounting concerns over regional instability, including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, Houthi attacks and tensions involving Iran. Potential disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb have raised wider concerns about energy security, food supplies and international commerce.
By bringing together four regional powers and four major European countries, Türkiye sought to strengthen coordination between Middle Eastern governments and European partners.
The participants agreed to maintain consultations in the expanded format, signaling their intention to continue working together beyond the Istanbul meeting.