Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are scheduled to meet Iranian leaders in Tehran on Monday in their first high-level engagement since Saudi Arabia became increasingly involved in the wider conflict with Iran.
Saudi Arabia will be represented by Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkey by intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, according to Saudi and Iranian officials.
The meeting comes amid escalating tensions across the region, with attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement intensifying in recent weeks and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran becoming increasingly hostile.
Both the United States and Iran have also drawn up plans for a possible resumption of the wider war, potentially after the November 3 US midterm elections.
The talks will mark the first high-level contact between Iran and all three members of the bloc since Saudi Arabia was drawn deeper into the conflict. Under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed in August, an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that discussions on regional security would cover Israel’s expansionist policies, developments in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, and the consequences of US and Israeli military action against Iran.
Baghaei said the meeting, proposed during Munir’s visit to Tehran last week, could represent an initial step towards establishing regional security mechanisms based on the interests of countries in the region.
A senior Iranian official said Pakistan initiated the meeting during Munir’s visit, when he held discussions with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials.
Iranian media reported that Tehran had told Munir there would be no negotiations with Washington until its demands were met.
Meanwhile, Qatari mediators met Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday as part of efforts to ease regional tensions. Qatar has played a mediating role between Tehran and Washington for several months.
Previous mediation efforts involving Pakistan and Qatar helped secure an interim peace agreement in June, but the arrangement quickly unravelled when fighting between Iran and the United States resumed weeks later.
Ali Baqeri-Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Iranian state television that the three visiting officials would hold consultations with the council on regional security.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said the meeting formed part of continuing efforts by the Mecca Pact countries to de-escalate the crisis, pursue diplomatic solutions and support mediation initiatives led by Qatar and Pakistan.
In a post on X, Krimly said the visit highlighted the role of the Mecca Pact countries in promoting regional security and stability and their commitment to working with other countries in the region.
Pakistan’s military media wing and Turkey’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
TENSIONS RISING
Saudi Arabia intercepted another wave of missiles and drones on Sunday as fighting involving the Houthis continued.
Earlier this month, ministers from the Mecca Pact countries held an emergency meeting in Riyadh, where they agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi attacks have emerged as an increasingly destabilising factor in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, placing Washington’s ally Saudi Arabia under growing pressure.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have also intensified in recent days. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington could launch another military operation against Iran, while Iranian leaders warned that any renewed US campaign would trigger a stronger response than before.
Iranian security officials have told Reuters that Tehran has developed detailed plans to target undersea cables in the Gulf if the United States and Israel launch further attacks.
A US intelligence memorandum issued this week also warned that Iranian plots targeting American personnel had reached what it described as advanced stages.
The conflict, which has lasted nearly eight months, has weighed on Trump’s approval ratings ahead of the US midterm elections.
The first article of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement states that member countries shall use “all necessary means” to eliminate threats to one another’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a copy of the agreement seen.
Pakistan approved the agreement last week, while Turkey’s parliament began the ratification process, which remains ongoing.
Boluwatife Enome
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