Mecca Pact Nations Meet Iran to Avert Regional War
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met with Iranian officials in Tehran to establish a regional security framework and defuse tensions amid Houthi attacks and U.S. strike threats.
Senior officials from the Mecca Defense Alliance—Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey—convened in Tehran on October 26 to coordinate regional security and prevent a wider Middle East war. The delegation, including Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin, met with Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei. The talks, reportedly initiated by Pakistan, aimed to establish endogenous security mechanisms to reduce foreign interference from the United States and Israel.
The diplomatic push occurred as Iran-aligned Houthi militants intensified missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including Riyadh airport. Simultaneously, tensions escalated with the United States and Israel; U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to "finish the job" in Iran, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of Iranian proxy attacks intended to disrupt Israel's October 27 elections. In response to the instability, Egypt's parliament authorized military support for Saudi Arabia.
Participants reached an understanding that regional security should be maintained by local powers rather than foreign entities. While Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif suggested the meeting reached a conclusion to end the Saudi-Houthi conflict, no formal settlement was announced. Iran remained firm on its conditions for engaging Washington, with Pezeshkian demanding the removal of sanctions and threats before dialogue could resume. Meanwhile, Qatari mediators worked to broker a deal involving the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of a U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports.
