Mecca Pact Nations Meet Iran to Avert Regional War
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met with Iranian officials in Tehran to de-escalate tensions amid Houthi attacks and threats of U.S. and Israeli military strikes.
Senior officials from the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement—comprising Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey—convened in Tehran on October 26 to 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 security chief Mohsen Rezaei. The talks focused on regional security, the conflict in Yemen, and the aftermath of a U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that ended in June.
The diplomatic push follows escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including Riyadh's international airport. Simultaneously, the region faces high tension as the United States maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz and prepares for potential strikes following the November 3 midterm elections. Qatari mediators also visited Tehran to coordinate de-escalation and discuss the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the blockade.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a closely contested general election on Tuesday, with both he and opponent Gadi Eisenkot pledging to maintain military pressure on Iran. While the Mecca Pact nations seek diplomatic solutions, Iranian leadership remains firm. President Pezeshkian demanded the removal of U.S. sanctions before dialogue can resume, and Mohsen Rezaei rejected any transfer of enriched nuclear material abroad. Turkey has begun the formal parliamentary ratification of the Mecca pact, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
