Mecca Pact delegation meets Iranian leaders in Tehran

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met Iranian leaders in Tehran on Monday, the first high-level contact between Iran and all three Mecca Pact members since Saudi Arabia was drawn deeper into the Iran conflict.

Why it matters: The bloc whose August defence agreement treats an attack on one member as an attack on all is now talking directly to Tehran while Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia spiral and Washington and Tehran trade threats of renewed war, so the talks are the main de-escalation channel open before the November 3 US midterms.

Data as of Reuters report of October 26, 2026, read in full in this run, is the source for the delegation's membership, the agenda stated by Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson and the background on Houthi attacks and US-Iran tensions. Arab News reported on October 26 that the meeting had begun, with the Saudi defence minister leading the delegation. No outcome or statement from the meeting itself had been reported as of this item.

Top officials from the three Mecca Pact countries, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, met Iran’s leaders in Tehran on Monday in their first high-level contact since the kingdom became a pressure point in the wider Iran conflict, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia was represented by Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkey by intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, and Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the regional security discussions would include the repercussions of US and Israeli military action against Iran, developments in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.

The meeting, proposed during Munir’s visit to Tehran last week and described by Saudi deputy minister Rayed Krimly as part of the pact countries’ efforts to de-escalate the crisis, comes as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have spiralled and both Washington and Tehran have drawn up plans to restart the wider war, possibly after the November 3 US midterms. No outcome from the talks had been reported as of Monday morning.

Mecca Pact delegation meets Iranian leaders in Tehran

Sources