Mecca Pact officials to meet Iranian security council in Tehran
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Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir and Turkey's intelligence chief will attend talks in Tehran on regional security coordination.
Top officials from the Mecca Pact countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan – are scheduled to meet Iranian representatives in Tehran on Monday to discuss regional security coordination, two sources familiar with the plans said. Saudi Arabia will be represented by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkey by its head of intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin.
Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television that the three officials would hold consultations with the council on regional security matters. The Saudi government media office, Pakistan's military media wing and Turkey's foreign ministry have not responded to requests for comment.
The meeting will be the first high-level contact between Iran and all three Mecca Pact members since Saudi Arabia faced increased missile and drone attacks attributed to Yemen's Houthi movement. Munir visited Tehran last week and met President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials, during which Iranian officials indicated that talks with Washington would not resume until Tehran's conditions were satisfied.
The three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, which obliges each member to consider an armed attack on another as an attack on all and to use "all necessary means" to address threats to their territorial integrity and sovereignty. The agreement has yet to be ratified by Turkey.