Mecca Pact officials to meet Iranian counterparts

Officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are set to convene with their Iranian counterparts in Tehran on Monday to discuss regional coordination, according to multiple sources. Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi defence minister, and Asim Munir, Pakistan's army chief, will represent their respective nations, with the Turkish head of intelligence also joining the discussions.

Ali Bagheri Kani, the deputy secretary of Iran's top security body, informed state TV that the delegation would meet with Iran's Supreme National Security Council to address regional security concerns.

The planned meeting represents the first high-level contact between Iran and all members of the Mecca Pact since Saudi Arabia faced escalating attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. During Munir's recent visit to Tehran, Iranian officials informed him that talks with Washington would not occur until Tehran's demands were met, as reported by Iranian media.

Pakistan has historically served as an intermediary between the US and Iran, contributing to an interim peace agreement in June; however, the deal quickly fell apart as the conflict resumed.

Saudi Arabia intercepted a wave of missiles and drones on Sunday as the fighting with the Houthis persisted. Earlier this month, ministers from the Mecca Pact nations held an emergency meeting in Riyadh and agreed to rapidly deploy military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi attacks have exacerbated tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran, turning Saudi Arabia into a key pressure point in the broader conflict.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia in August, obligates the signatories to employ all necessary means to safeguard each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and internationally recognized borders. Turkey's parliament began ratifying the agreement last week, while Pakistan approved it earlier this week.