Senior Turkish, Saudi, Pakistani officials to visit Iran for security talks

Senior officials from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will meet Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss regional security, officials said Monday. Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Iranian television that senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, members of the Mecca Alliance, would visit Tehran as part of efforts to promote a regional security framework in West Asia. Bagheri said the meeting would be attended by Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir and a senior Turkish official.

Turkish security sources told Anadolu that National Intelligence Organization chief Ibrahim Kalin would attend the meeting. Bagheri said the visiting officials would meet Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, to discuss regional security issues. He added that Iran opposed intervention and influence by external powers in the region. Bagheri did not specify the date of the meeting, although Iranian media reported that it would take place Monday.

Mecca Alliance seeks to ease regional tensions Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Raid Krimly confirmed the visit in a post on US social media platform X. Krimly said the visiting officials would also meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in addition to Rezaei. He said the visit was part of efforts by Mecca Alliance members to ease tensions amid the ongoing crisis between the US and Iran. The talks would also seek to promote dialogue and diplomatic solutions while supporting mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan, he added.

Krimly said the contacts demonstrated the alliance members' role in strengthening regional security and stability and their determination to work with all countries in the region toward that goal.