Senior officials from three nations within the ‘Mecca Alliance’—Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan—are set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday. This information was reported by the news agency Reuters, citing two individuals familiar with the matter.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources stated that Saudi Arabia will be represented by its Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, while Pakistan will be represented by its Army Chief, General Asim Munir. One of the sources added that the head of Turkey’s intelligence agency will also participate in the meeting.
Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Iranian state television that Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid, Pakistani Army Chief General Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin are visiting Tehran to consult on regional security. They are scheduled to hold discussions with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Requests for comment sent to the Saudi government’s media office, the Pakistani military’s media wing, and the Turkish Foreign Ministry did not receive an immediate response.
This marks the first high-level engagement between Iran and this alliance, occurring as Saudi Arabia faces mounting pressure amid an escalation in attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen.
Pakistani Army Chief General Munir visited Tehran just last week, where he held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior Iranian officials.
Earlier this month, ministers from the nations party to the ‘Mecca Agreement’ held an emergency meeting in Riyadh, during which they reached a consensus on providing defense support to Saudi Arabia.
Against the backdrop of potential military operations by the United States and Israel against Iran, the Houthi attacks are increasingly fueling regional instability. Consequently, Saudi Arabia—a key U.S. ally—has found itself at the center of significant pressure, with the risk of a broader conflict.
In August, Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia signed the ‘Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.’ Under the terms of the pact, an armed attack against any member state is to be considered an attack against all other members.
