Mecca Alliance Leaders Meet in Tehran for First Joint Security Talks

Delegations from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan are scheduled to arrive in Tehran on Monday for their first joint security meeting with Iranian leaders since the formation of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The three nations, which signed the pact in August, will hold high-level talks with representatives of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, identified the incoming officials as Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of the council, will lead the Iranian side of the negotiations. Bagheri Kani stated that the meeting allows participating countries to take effective steps toward building regional security based on actors within the region.

Rayed Krimly, Saudi deputy minister for public diplomacy, confirmed the itinerary. He described the visit as part of continuing efforts by alliance partners to de-escalate the ongoing crisis and promote dialogue. Krimly noted that the trip supports mediation efforts carried out by Qatar and Pakistan. He added that the visit underscores the pivotal role of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement countries in reinforcing regional security and stability.

The talks mark the first high-level contact between Iran and all three alliance members since the Houthi group in Yemen escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia last month. Saudi forces intercepted another wave of missiles and drones on Sunday, continuing a pattern of conflict that has turned the US ally into a pressure point in the wider war. The Houthi attacks have become a destabilizing factor in the region.

Pakistani military chief Asim Munir visited Tehran last week and met with President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian media reported that officials told Munir there would be no talks with the United States on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran until Tehran’s demands are met. Pakistan has served as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran since the war began in February. Earlier mediation produced an interim agreement in June, which unraveled weeks later when fighting resumed.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all. The treaty commits parties to use all necessary means to eliminate threats to one another’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The agreement was signed in August, with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye ratifying it immediately. Pakistan approved the pact last week, and Turkiye’s parliament began its own ratification process during the same period.