Middle East leaders urge calm at Manama Dialogue as fears grow of a new Iran war
Regional leaders called for calm on Saturday, 31 October, at the Manama Dialogue security forum in Bahrain, as fears grew of a new round of fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran. Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Waleed ElKhereiji, told the forum that people across the region wanted peace back, and that efforts were under way to prevent a military escalation and reach an agreement that ends the crisis with Iran. He added that no one could predict the outcome of those efforts.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, speaking at the same event, warned that another round of fighting would be far worse than the last. “We are very confident that … the second round will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere,” he said.
Syria’s Foreign Minister, Assad al-Shibani, also spoke at the forum. He said border security with Jordan was a shared responsibility and that a high-level meeting between the two countries was expected next month. He said there were no “skirmishes” between them, after Jordanian strikes in Syria last week. Jordan said the strikes killed 20 Islamic State militants, but acknowledged that civilians were also killed. Syrian authorities reported seven people killed, most of them women and children.
Al-Shibani also said Syria was considering joining the Mecca Pact, the Saudi-led defence alliance that includes Turkey and Pakistan, but no decision had been made.
Why it matters
The warnings show how worried governments in the region are about being pulled into another war. A new round of fighting could hit shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, energy supplies and trade, and put civilians across the Middle East at risk. For Pakistan, the talks matter too: Pakistan is part of the Mecca Pact, so any widening of the conflict would affect its region as well.
What happens next
The Manama Dialogue, the 22nd edition of the annual security summit, runs until Sunday, 1 November. Syria and Jordan are expected to hold their border-security meeting next month. Diplomats are continuing to work on an agreement on Iran, but none has been announced, and the leaders at the forum were clear that the outcome is still uncertain.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.byteseu.com/2487773/ (Associated Press, via Bytes Europe, 31 October 2026)
- https://swifteradio.com/middle-east-leaders-urge-calm-as-fears-of-renewed-war-between-us-israel-and-iran-grow/ (Swifte Radio, 31 October 2026)
