Top officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are meeting Iranian leaders in Tehran on Monday for high-level diplomatic talks aimed at de-escalating the growing Middle East conflict. The delegation includes Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin.
This meeting marks the first direct contact between Iran and all three members of the "Mecca Pact" since Saudi Arabia faced intensified attacks from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. Under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed in August an attack on one member state is treated as an attack on all.
The initiative follows a preliminary visit by Pakistan's army chief last week and separate mediation efforts by Qatari officials in Tehran. Tensions have mounted across the region amid ongoing Houthi missile strikes on Saudi territory, rising friction between Washington and Tehran and concerns over potential military escalation.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly stated that the visit reflects the alliance's commitment to promoting diplomatic solutions and supporting joint mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan. Meanwhile the officials from the Mecca Pact states previously agreed to coordinate military deployments to support Saudi defense capabilities.
With regional security and global energy stability at stake, the diplomatic push seeks to prevent further military escalation between Iran, the United States and regional defense allies.
