Mecca Pact members meet officials in Tehran - Semafor

Saudi Arabia’s defense minister and security officials from Pakistan and Türkiye are set to meet with Iranian leaders to ease tensions in the region, amid signs that the US-Iran conflict could escalate again. Saudi defense minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, and the head of Türkiye’s intelligence services, Ibrahim Kalin, will meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and national security council secretary Mohsen Rezaei on Monday in Tehran. The talks aim to de-escalate and promote “dialogue and diplomatic solutions,” according to Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for public diplomacy.

This is the highest-level contact between Iran and the three members of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement that was signed in August. Washington has pulled non-emergency staff and families from Saudi Arabia and US President Donald Trump said it’s “getting to be decision time” on making a deal with Iran or returning to conflict, suggesting he could resume attacks after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.