Amid an intensifying wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and U.S. threats to resume military strikes against Iran, senior Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish officials met Monday with Iran’s leadership in Tehran in a bid to ward off renewed escalation.
The three countries, which signed a joint defense agreement known as the Mecca Pact in August, are seeking to prioritize diplomacy as tensions mount and Saudi Arabia faces significant security threats. The meeting marked the first high-level engagement between Iran, which supports the Houthis, and the Mecca Pact allies.
Images released by Saudi Al Ekhbariya television and the Iranian presidency showed President Masoud Pezeshkian meeting with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, and Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, alongside Iranian officials including Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
During the meeting, Pezeshkian called for strengthening “regional unity” and expressed hope that the representatives from influential Muslim countries would help reinforce regional cohesion. Despite his government’s support for the Houthis, he urged Muslim nations to stand together and adopt a coordinated position.
Iranian media reported after the first meeting that the participants had agreed to continue dialogue and consultations to strengthen cooperation among the four countries, particularly on regional peace and security.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said the visit was part of the Mecca Pact countries’ efforts to de-escalate tensions, encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions, and support mediation led by Qatar and Pakistan. Riyadh stressed the importance of opening channels for negotiations to prevent a return to military escalation and pave the way for an agreement that would resolve the crisis and promote security and stability in the region and beyond.
Faisal Al-Shammari, a writer and researcher at Saudi Arabia’s Simt Center for Studies, told MBN the meeting reflected the allies’ recognition of the sensitivity of the current moment and their determination to use diplomacy to prevent a renewed military escalation.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks between Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and the Houthi movement, which controls the capital, Sanaa. Yemen has become a volatile front in the broader conflict between the U.S.-Israeli camp on one side and Iran on the other.
The Houthis, who are designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, recently launched a series of attacks targeting Riyadh International Airport and facilities belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco, disrupting air traffic and oil exports.
On October 5, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activated their mutual defense pact by agreeing to deploy additional troops and military capabilities in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman described the move as the activation of “collective deterrence” measures.
Subsequent security developments, however, underscored the challenges facing the alliance. Five days later, a Houthi attack on Riyadh’s main airport killed 13 people and injured hundreds more, followed by an attack targeting the headquarters of Saudi Aramco.
Simon Henderson, director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at the Washington Institute, sees no real contradiction between the alliance’s position and its participation in the Tehran meeting. “Despite its declared military purpose, the Mecca accords always implied a primary diplomatic preference,” he told MBN.
Potential Military Action
The significance of the Tehran meeting extends beyond tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis to the possibility of renewed war between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other.
In recent days, speculation has resurfaced about a possible resumption of U.S. military operations following President Donald Trump’s remarks about the possibility of launching a new military campaign. U.S. media reports have also discussed plans for attacks after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Shammari, the Saudi researcher, said the meeting represented a “last chance” for Tehran to make concessions and reach a new agreement with Washington to end the war before a potential escalation.
But the Mecca Pact countries lack the ability to prevent the United States and Israel from attacking Iran, Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, told MBN. The diplomatic outreach to Tehran, he said, “serves only one purpose: persuading Iran not to retaliate against regional energy infrastructure.”
As Riyadh seeks to combine military deterrence with diplomatic engagement, the real test of the Tehran meeting will be whether its calls for dialogue can be translated into concrete action on the ground.
Shammari said the meeting could be an important step toward supporting negotiations and narrowing differences. But the success of these efforts would depend on whether Washington and Tehran were willing to engage constructively with the ongoing mediation and “prioritize political solutions over military options in a way that safeguards regional security and the interests of all parties.”
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
