Mecca Pact: Top military leaders converge on Tehran amid Houthi strikes

Senior defense figures from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are scheduled to meet Iranian counterparts in Tehran on Monday, marking the first high-level contact between the bloc and Iran since recent hostilities escalated. The gathering aims to discuss regional coordination as tensions rise across the Middle East.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman will lead the Saudi delegation. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will represent his country. A Turkish intelligence head will also attend the talks, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The meeting comes as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis continue to target Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, Saudi forces intercepted a new wave of missiles and drones. This development follows an emergency meeting of Mecca Pact ministers in Riyadh earlier this month. They agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces to protect Saudi territory.

The three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August. The pact treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all. A text of the agreement states that parties commit to using all necessary means to eliminate threats to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, or internationally recognized borders.

The agreement has not yet taken full effect across the bloc. Pakistan approved the pact last week. Ratification efforts in Turkey’s parliament began last week and remain underway. Neither the Saudi government media office nor Pakistan’s military media wing responded to requests for comment regarding the upcoming Tehran talks.