The foreign ministers' meeting extends over Monday in Pakistan's capital, focusing on de-escalating regional tensions. According to a foreign ministry statement, the visiting foreign ministers will hold in-depth discussions on this goal and will meet Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A foreign ministry source said the quadrilateral meeting would take place on Monday, with delegations arriving by Sunday evening, after Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar invited his counterparts. However, major media reports indicate none of the warring parties are present at the meeting, and Svenska Dagbladet reports that ahead of the talks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reportedly held detailed discussions about the war with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The context for these talks is a sharp escalation that began on February 28, 2026, when American and Israeli forces launched operations against Iranian targets, according to multiple reports. Tourism-review.com reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died during the initial wave of attacks, though this remains an allegation without official confirmation. Iran responded with coordinated actions against military and symbolic locations across Israel and allied nations, research indicates.
The human toll is significant, with Iran saying more than 1,000 people have been killed in the war so far. In response, the U.S. State Department urged all U.S. citizens to immediately leave Iran, Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, and Yemen using commercial transportation. Countries like China, Italy, France, and Germany moved to organize evacuation efforts for their citizens, according to multiple reports.
The countries are exploring how to combine strengths to solve regional problems.
Air traffic in the Middle East remains heavily disrupted due to the conflict, with research showing that as of March 7, 2026, air transport across much of the region—including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan—faces severe disruption, with skies unusually quiet. Dubai International, Abu Dhabi, and Hamad International in Doha have sharply reduced activity, with Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways operating minimal schedules.
The impact on major Gulf airports has been profound. Gulf hubs—Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha—shuddered to a halt after the first U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, with airspace closed and aircraft grounded, according to reports. Tens of thousands of passengers were left stranded in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar due to flight disruptions. Dubai International Airport is the busiest airport in the world for international passengers, handling over 92 million passengers in 2024, research indicates, while London Heathrow accommodated just under 83 million passengers in 2024, and Abu Dhabi and Doha airports handled about 87 million passengers combined. Under normal circumstances, Gulf airports handle over 3,000 flights daily, mostly operated by Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways.
Specific airline disruptions are extensive. By March 7, 2026, more than 1,500 departures had been scrapped, as tracked by FlightAware. Emirates brought back a small number of passenger return trips and air cargo routes but halted regular operations past 11:59 p.m. on March 7, 2026. Qatar Airways cannot run any service at all due to closed airspace. Long-haul carriers Etihad Airways, Emirates, and Qatar Airways all temporarily suspended operations, according to multiple reports.
The countries were discussing the US-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran's counterattacks on Gulf countries.
Economic consequences are mounting. Fuel supplies from Gulf refineries are choked off after Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, causing jet fuel prices to double since the start of the conflict, research shows. The Gulf region normally accounts for about half of Europe's jet fuel imports. Some carriers have begun cutting flights in response to fuel scarcity and higher prices. Flight interruptions have pushed air routes between Asia and Europe toward detours across the Caucasus, through Afghanistan, or via Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, increasing expenses.
Broader regional travel and tourism impacts are severe. Before the crisis, annual tourism revenue in the region approached $460 billion, according to research. Confidence among global visitors has dropped sharply due to the conflict. The U.S. and Israel's joint war against Iran has upended travel across the Middle East, stranding hundreds of thousands of people.
Pakistan has emerged as a key facilitator between Iran and the United States, serving as an intermediary, with research indicating Islamabad has longstanding links with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Amin Munir have a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump.
The meeting was initially planned in Turkey but moved to Pakistan because Pakistani counterparts are required to remain in their country.
Details of the Islamabad diplomatic meeting include discussions on the US-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran's counterattacks on Gulf countries, as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted in a press conference. He said the countries are exploring how to combine strengths to solve regional problems, and that the meeting was initially planned in Turkey but moved to Pakistan because Pakistani counterparts are required to remain in their country. Whether direct talks between the U.S. and Iran are currently planned or underway remains uncertain, as Tehran has refused to admit to holding official talks with Washington, though an anonymous source cited by Tasnim news agency said Iran has passed a response to Trump's 15-point plan to end the war via Islamabad.
Regional security dynamics involve Turkey seeking a security pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia since last year, according to research. Turkish sources said Ankara was trying to bring Egypt into the security arrangement, which would not mirror NATO but serve as a platform for defense cooperation. Turkey and Egypt signed a bilateral military agreement in February to deepen security cooperation during President Erdogan's visit to Cairo.
Political positions vary, with a joint statement by the participating countries in Riyadh strongly criticising Tehran for its attacks on the Gulf, while mentioning Israel only briefly as having an 'expansionist' policy in Lebanon. Ankara has repeatedly described Israel as the primary instigator of the war with Iran, research shows.
Uncertainties persist regarding the outcomes of the Islamabad meeting, with no specific agreements announced yet. The aviation recovery timeline is unclear, as experts warn flights in the coming days and weeks could continue to see disruptions, causing ripple effects globally. How long the severe aviation disruptions in the Middle East will last and the full economic impact on airlines and passengers are not yet known.
Further unknowns include the current status of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death, which lacks official confirmation, and developments in the war itself. The diplomatic efforts face challenges, with Tehran's stance on talks remaining ambiguous.
Implications are far-reaching. Airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Amid airspace closures, many carriers have been forced to cancel flights or shift to longer routes, straining operating costs and ticket prices. The disruptions highlight the broader diplomatic challenges in resolving a conflict that has destabilized a key global transit region.