Mecca Alliance Delegates Convene in Tehran to Halt Houthi Attacks

Middle East conflict has disrupted global oil flows and intensified regional security concerns. On October 26, representatives from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met with officials from Iran in Tehran to address these escalating tensions. The gathering serves as the first high-level dialogue under the Mecca Defense Alliance, a trilateral mutual-defense pact formed to coordinate security responses in the region.

A senior security official in Islamabad stated that the primary goal is to persuade Iran to use its influence to stop Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The official said the alliance is prepared to offer closer Saudi-Israeli security cooperation as leverage in the negotiations. "The key question is why Iran should comply? The answer is that Saudi Arabia may ask for support from Israel and that will potentially require them to join the Abraham Accords," the official said. The accords, signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. Since Turkey already maintains diplomatic ties with Israel, the official noted the trio could propose this arrangement if Tehran refuses to rein in the Houthis.

The Houthi rebels, who operate primarily from Yemen and are aligned with Tehran, have increased missile strikes on Saudi targets. Earlier this month, an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. The group has also warned airlines to avoid Saudi airspace. In response, Saudi Arabia has launched strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. These attacks occur while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, a waterway that typically carries one-fifth of the world's oil and gas.

Analysts view the meeting as an urgent effort to prevent further escalation. Azaz Syed, an Islamabad-based analyst, said the US-Iran conflict is also a key agenda item. He noted that Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir visited Tehran last week to deliver a final warning to the Iranian government. "Apparently, this was a last-ditch effort to convince the Iranians" to seek a negotiated settlement with the United States, Syed said. Hamidreza Azizi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group in Belgium, described the Tehran meeting as a final attempt to prevent war between Iran and the US from resuming.

Tensions between Iran and Pakistan have also risen ahead of the talks. Islamabad closed two border crossings between Baluchistan and Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan Province. Pakistan suspended operating clearance for Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. In reaction, Iran halted liquefied petroleum gas exports to Pakistan. Pakistan imports approximately 7,000 metric tons of LPG daily from Iran. The suspension has caused gas prices to rise for domestic and commercial consumers.

Iranian envoy to Islamabad Reza Amiri Moghadam said consultations are underway to resolve the border trade issues. He noted that several hundred trucks carrying LPG have been stuck at the Rimdan border for several weeks. Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly posted on social media that the meeting underscores the alliance's commitment to regional stability. Rabia Akhtar, a professor at the University of Lahore, described the summit as an attempt at regional crisis management rather than the creation of a new security framework.

The Mecca Alliance enshrines a collective security arrangement modeled on NATO's Article 5. It states that any armed attack against one of the three member states shall be regarded as an attack against them all. The alliance countries aim to establish an understanding on restraint regarding Saudi security and the Houthi threat. The timing of the meeting reflects growing concern that existing diplomatic efforts may be running out of time before further military escalation occurs.