Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani Officials Set for Tehran Talks as Houthi Attacks on Riyadh Intensify

Senior officials from the three nations in the Mecca Pact, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, are due to meet Iranian counterparts in Tehran on Monday to discuss regional coordination, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Saudi Arabia will send Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, while Pakistan will be represented by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. One of them added that Turkey's head of intelligence will also take part.

Reuters said it asked for comment from the Saudi government media office and Pakistan's military media wing, but neither had replied.

If the meeting goes ahead, it would be the first high-level contact between Iran and all three members of the bloc since Saudi Arabia came under growing attack from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. On Sunday, Saudi forces intercepted another wave of missiles and drones as fighting with the group continued without letup.

Earlier this month, ministers from the Mecca Pact countries held an emergency meeting in Riyadh. They agreed to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.

The conflict has increasingly added instability to the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, making Saudi Arabia, a US ally, a pressure point in the wider war.

The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August. Under it, an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. According to a text seen by Reuters, the first article commits the parties to use "all necessary means" to eliminate threats to one another's territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognized borders.

The pact has not yet taken full effect across the bloc. Pakistan approved the agreement last week, while efforts in Turkey's parliament to ratify it began last week and are still underway.