Islamabad, Oct 26 (PTI): Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, Saudi Arabia’s defence minister and Turkish intelligence chief are expected to jointly meet top Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday to discuss the regional security situation, according to officials.
In separate statements, Pakistan, Saudi and Iranian authorities confirmed the meeting, amid fears that escalating tensions in the region could draw more countries into the fighting.
The meeting also comes amid raging tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis in recent weeks, with the Iran-backed group claiming attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and military sites. Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting missiles and drones targeting the kingdom.
Field Marshal Munir is visiting Tehran on an “official visit,” the Pakistan Army said in a brief statement, without giving details of the trip.
This is his second trip to Tehran within a week, amid indications that the US might be preparing for another round of fighting with Iran.
Hours earlier, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council’s Deputy Secretary Ali Bagheri said that “senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye will travel to Tehran as part of efforts to implement the idea of endogenous security in West Asia,” according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are part of the Makkah Joint Defence agreement signed in August. According to the pact, any attack on one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all.
The high-level meeting comes days after the Pakistan Army chief met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei in Tehran.
Bagheri told state TV that among the visiting dignitaries would be Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Pakistan’s Army chief Munir. “The purpose of these senior officials’ trip is consultation with Major General Mohsen Rezaei regarding regional security,” he said.
“All three countries attending this meeting, along with Iran, can take an effective step toward creating endogenous security within the framework of Iran’s effective idea for regional security-building with the participation of regional actors, drawing on Iran’s successful experience in national security-building,” Bagheri was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly also confirmed the visit in a post on X, saying that the meetings would be held on Monday.
According to him, Minister of Defence Prince Khalid will lead the Saudi delegation during the meeting between Makkah pact countries and Iranian officials.
He said the “representatives of Makkah Joint Defence Agreement countries will meet” with Iranian President Pezeshkian and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Rezaei.
Krimly described the visit as “part of the continued efforts by the Makkah Defence Alliance members for de-escalation between parties involved in the ongoing crisis, and promoting dialogue and diplomatic solutions, in support of the mediation efforts carried out by Qatar and Pakistan”.
“The visit underscores the pivotal role of Makkah Defence Alliance members in reinforcing regional security and stability, and working with all countries in the region to achieve that goal,” he added.
In Tehran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that the meeting with officials from the three countries would cover “most pressing issues threatening our region”, which included Israel’s expansionist policies, developments in Palestine and Lebanon.
He also said that the topic of “top priority on the agenda would be consequences of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and its ramifications for the entire region”.
The US and Iran signed the Islamabad MoU in June to restore peace in West Asia, advance negotiations on regional security and other contentious issues. The deal ended the conflict that began on February 28 and continued till April 8, when the ceasefire was agreed, followed by talks mediated by Pakistan.
Field Marshal Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have made multiple trips to Tehran as part of Islamabad’s efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. Munir’s last visit to Tehran coincided with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unannounced trip to West Asia.
During his meeting with Munir last week, Rezaei told the Pakistani army chief that all enriched nuclear materials will remain in Iran as a national asset, stressing that no negotiations with the US will take place until Washington builds trust by meeting Iran’s conditions, according to the channel.
Also, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week travelled to Tehran, where he met Iranian leaders and discussed everything from Europe to West Asia, including Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine and Yemen.
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