Mecca Pact leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan prepare for Tehran talks

Senior representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are scheduled to travel to Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian leadership regarding security and coordination across the region, according to sources familiar with the arrangements reported by Reuters.

The delegation will include Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Pakistan's military leader, Field Marshal Asim Munir, the sources stated. Turkey's intelligence chief is also expected to participate in the discussions. Official government and military communication offices in Riyadh, Islamabad, and Ankara did not immediately provide comment on the planned summit.

The meeting marks the first high-level engagement between Iran and the tripartite coalition since a recent surge in cross-border strikes against Saudi Arabia by Houthi forces in Yemen. On Sunday, Saudi defence forces intercepted a fresh barrage of inbound missiles and unmanned drones amid continuous hostilities with the Yemeni movement.

Pakistan's army chief visited Tehran just last week for consultations with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other dignitaries. During those earlier sessions, Iranian authorities reiterated that dialogue with the United States remained off the table until their conditions were satisfied, according to state-aligned press in Tehran. Pakistan previously functioned as a diplomatic bridge between Washington and Tehran, helping broker a brief provisional truce in June before military friction reignited.

The upcoming discussions follow the formal creation of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey in August. Under the terms of the treaty, any armed offensive targeting one signatory is treated as an aggression against all three partners. The pact obligates members to deploy all required measures to counter hazards threatening the sovereignty, border integrity, and territory of allied states.

Following an urgent gathering in Riyadh earlier in the month, defence leaders from the trio pledged to enable the swift positioning of forces and defence infrastructure within Saudi borders. Legislative bodies across the alliance have been finalizing the accord; lawmakers in Pakistan sanctioned the treaty last week, while legislative ratification procedures in Turkey's parliament remain in progress.