Iran and Mecca Defence Alliance leaders meet in Tehran

Delegations from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan will meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday. Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, confirmed the joint meeting. He stated that the gathering aims to take effective steps toward establishing regional security based on regional actors.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, will lead the Iranian delegation. The visiting officials include Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, Pakistani military chief Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Rayed Krimly, the Saudi deputy minister for public diplomacy, verified the schedule. He described the visit as part of continued efforts for de-escalation and to support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan.

This is the first high-level contact between Iran and all members of the alliance since Yemen’s Houthi armed group escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia last month. The Houthi strikes have increased tension in the region. They have turned Saudi Arabia, a United States ally, into a pressure point in the wider war between the United States, Israel, and Iran. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia intercepted another wave of missiles and drones from the Houthis.

Pakistan has served as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran since the war began in February. Earlier mediation helped produce an interim agreement in June. That deal collapsed quickly as fighting resumed weeks later. During a visit to Tehran last week, Field Marshal Munir met President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian officials told Munir that no talks with the United States would occur until Tehran’s demands were met.

The three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August. The pact states that an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Article one of the agreement says the parties will use all necessary means to eliminate threats to each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Ministers from the alliance held an emergency meeting in Riyadh this month. They agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan approved the pact last week. Efforts by Turkiye’s parliament to ratify the agreement began last week and are still under way. The alliance members aim to reinforce regional security and stability. They plan to work with all countries in the region to achieve that goal.