From the Mecca defence pact to Tehran talks: Is the Middle East’s security landscape shifting?

Senior military and security officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are holding talks with Iranian officials in Tehran as diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the United States continue.Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are members of the Mecca Defence Alliance, a security alliance established amid regional instability and concerns over threats linked to Iran and its allies.

The three countries have now turned to direct talks with Tehran about regional security, even as the alliance faces growing pressure from attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia.Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin are attending the talks in Tehran on Monday, according to Saudi and Iranian officials.They are reportedly meeting with Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has described the meeting as a potential step towards establishing cooperative regional security mechanisms.Speaking at his weekly news conference in Tehran, Baghaei reiterated Iran’s longstanding call for what it describes as "endogenous security," a framework that would rely primarily on the capabilities and interests of regional countries.

The Mecca pact: collective defence against regional threatsSaudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August 2026. Under the pact, an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all three, requiring the others to provide assistance.

The agreement brings together Saudi Arabia’s financial resources and influence in global energy markets, Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities and Turkey’s advanced defence industry and NATO membership.Although the agreement was signed amid growing concerns over Iran and its allied groups, Turkish officials have insisted that it is not directed against Tehran or any other specific country.Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in an Aug. 8 interview with Anadolu that the agreement did not identify any country as a common threat.

He explained that countries would not be considered targets unless they attacked a signatory.

The agreement has received approval in Pakistan, while Turkey has submitted it to parliament but has yet to complete the ratification process.Houthi attacks put collective defence to the testEscalating missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthis against Saudi Arabia have presented the Mecca alliance with its first major test.At an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Oct. 5, the three countries agreed to move towards implementing their collective defence commitments, including measures to ensure the rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia.The commitments were outlined in a joint statement published by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry.Ankara, however, has drawn a line between supporting Saudi Arabia’s defences and joining offensive military operations against the Houthis inside Yemen.At an Oct. 8 news conference in Ankara, Fidan said the agreement was defensive and ruled out sending Turkish troops to another country to carry out attacks.Turkey has instead been assessing possible contributions in areas such as air defence, electronic warfare and technical assistance.

The three nations are therefore pursuing direct engagement with Tehran while strengthening their military readiness under the terms of an alliance designed to deter attacks on its members.Why engage with Tehran?Pakistan has played a mediating role between Tehran and Washington in recent months. Saudi Arabia is seeking to contain the threat posed by Houthi attacks on its territory and infrastructure, while Turkey has sought to prevent further regional escalation.Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said in an Oct. 26 post on X that the Tehran visit was part of continued efforts by the Mecca pact countries to reduce tensions and encourage diplomatic solutions.He said the talks were also intended to support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan.The Saudi statement suggests that talks with Iran are being pursued alongside the alliance’s defence commitments, rather than necessarily representing a fundamental change in the pact’s purpose.Military deterrence or regional security?Tehran’s emphasis on locally driven security arrangements appears, at least in principle, to share some common ground with the Mecca pact’s stated objective of strengthening security cooperation among regional states.Significant differences remain, however.Saudi Arabia maintains extensive security ties with the United States, Turkey is a NATO member, and Pakistan continues to pursue defence partnerships with several major powers.Meanwhile, no agreement on a new joint regional security mechanism has been announced.Nevertheless, the Tehran meeting highlights a notable development: Three countries that have established a mutual defence alliance in response to mounting regional security threats are now also pursuing direct dialogue with Iran.The key question is whether this dual approach can have a lasting impact on regional tensions.