Mecca Defense Alliance reps meet in Iran for regional coordination

Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın is set to join officials from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in Iran on Monday as their Mecca Defense Alliance weigh coordination with Tehran amid turmoil in the region, according to Iranian officials

Ibrahim Kalın, director of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), will join officials from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Ankara’s partners in the Mecca Defense Alliance , in a visit to Tehran, an Iranian official said on Monday. Turkish sources speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) also confirmed the participation of Kalın to the talks, which, according to Iranian media outlets, will be held on Monday. The talks will focus on “regional security."

"As agreed, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın will participate in this meeting," said Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. He said the meeting will be held with Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei.

"This four-party meeting in Tehran could represent an important and effective step towards building lasting regional security, and we hope this initiative will contribute to establishing a stable region," said Kani in an interview with state television, without elaborating.

He said that the meeting was proposed during a visit by Pakistani army chief Asim Munir to Tehran last week.

War has engulfed the Middle East since February when the United States and Israel launched a wave of surprise attacks on Iran, while Washington and Tehran were in the midst of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

An April cease-fire brought an end to the initial phase of intense bombardment but the two sides have continued to vie for control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel.

Iran has since claimed control over the strait and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt to cross without its authorization, while the United States has imposed a naval counterblockade on Iranian ports.

Diplomatic efforts with the U.S. remain stalled, especially since the collapse of a June deal which laid out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict.

The war has since spread across the region to include fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen.

Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said the meeting is part of ongoing efforts by the Mecca Pact countries to de-escalate the current crisis, promote diplomatic solutions, and support mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan. "The visit also underscores the pivotal role of the Mecca Pact states in fostering regional security and stability, and their commitment to working with all nations in the region toward ⁠achieving this goal," Krimly posted on X. Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman will represent Saudi Arabia at the meeting.

The meeting is the first high-level between the alliance members and Iranian officials. The Alliance has denied that it was founded to counter Iran's influence in the region and signaled it was open to new members.

Attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have spiralled in recent weeks, ​and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran has grown more heated. Both countries have also drawn up ​plans ⁠to restart the wider war, possibly after the U.S. midterm elections on November 3.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday discussions on regional security would include "Israel’s expansionist policies, developments in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, and the repercussions of U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran."

Baghaei said the meeting could be a first step toward establishing regional security mechanisms based on the interests of countries in the region. Qatari mediators met Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday in a push to de-escalate regional tensions, Reuters reported. Qatar has, for months, played a mediating role between Tehran and Washington.

A senior Iranian official said the meeting was initiated by Pakistan, during Munir's visit to Tehran, as he met ⁠Iranian President ⁠Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials. During the visit, Iranian officials told him there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran's demands were met, according to Iranian media. Earlier mediation efforts involving both Pakistan and Qatar helped produce an interim peace agreement in June, but the deal quickly unravelled as fighting between Iran and the United States resumed weeks later.

Saudi Arabia intercepted another wave of missiles and drones on Sunday as fighting ​with the Houthis continued unabated. Ministers from the Mecca Pact countries held an emergency meeting in Riyadh earlier this month and agreed to ensure the "rapid ​deployment" of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi attacks have become an increasingly destabilizing element in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, turning U.S. ally Saudi Arabia into a pressure point in the wider war.

The ⁠Mecca agreement's first article says the parties shall use "all necessary means" to eliminate threats to one another's territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognized borders.

The Turkish Parliament will start debates to ratify the agreement on Tuesday, while Pakistan approved the pact last week.