TEHRAN, — Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey held high-level talks with Iranian leaders in Tehran on Monday to discuss regional security, diplomatic mediation and efforts to prevent further escalation amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
The visiting officials include Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. They are meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior security official Mohsen Rezaei, identified in the supplied reports as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Iranian deputy security official Ali Bagheri Kani confirmed the visit, describing the discussions as consultations on regional security and “endogenous security” in West Asia, referring to a security framework led by regional countries. A senior Iranian official said Pakistan initiated the meeting during Munir’s visit to Tehran the previous week.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said the visit forms part of efforts by the Mecca Pact countries to reduce tensions, promote dialogue and support diplomatic solutions, including mediation efforts by Pakistan and Qatar.
Mecca Pact and Mutual Defence Commitments
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, also known as the Mecca Pact or Makkah Defence Alliance, in August 2026. Under the agreement, an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, with members committed to addressing threats to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and borders.
Earlier in October, the pact’s Strategic-Political and Defence Committee held an emergency meeting in Riyadh, agreeing on collective deterrence measures and steps toward the rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia.
Houthi Attacks and Regional Security
The talks follow recent waves of missile and drone attacks claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia. Saudi forces have intercepted recent attacks, raising concerns about the security of infrastructure, energy facilities and shipping routes.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the discussions would also address Israeli policies, developments in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, and the effects of US and Israeli military actions involving Iran.
The meeting comes amid heightened US-Iran tensions and reports that both sides have considered further military options. Pakistan and Qatar have been involved in mediation efforts aimed at reducing the risk of a wider conflict.
Reports of Possible Iranian Integration
Reports citing Israeli intelligence assessments suggest that Pakistan has been mediating on behalf of Saudi Arabia to explore the possibility of bringing Iran into the Mecca Alliance. However, no formal agreement to include Iran has been announced.
Israeli officials have reportedly raised concerns that closer Saudi-Iranian cooperation could accelerate Saudi Arabia’s ballistic missile programme. Claims that Iranian technology transfers could eventually enable Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear warheads remain reported concerns, not a confirmed outcome of the talks.
Ali Vaez, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at the International Crisis Group, described the visit as an attempt to encourage compromise before further escalation, adding that its success would depend on a credible proposal to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran.
Iranian officials have presented the discussions as a step toward a regional security framework independent of foreign intervention. The Tehran meeting marks the first high-level contact between Iran and all three Mecca Pact members since the recent intensification of attacks on Saudi Arabia.
No detailed outcomes from Monday’s meetings had been publicly released at the time of reporting.
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