Members of the Makkah Defence Alliance and Iran on Monday agreed to continue further dialogue in an effort to ramp up cooperation for regional peace and security after a high-level meeting in Tehran. “The participants agreed to continue the dialogue to strengthen cooperation amongst the four regional countries, including for peace and security in the region,” said a statement issued by Iran’s Press TV after the meeting concluded.
Regional tensions, the fallout from the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and developments in Palestine and Lebanon were on the agenda, Press TV reported. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed the need to strengthen unity and cooperation among Muslim countries. “The Islamic Republic of Iran, with firm conviction and serious determination, is ready to take steps toward deepening regional cooperation, resolving differences and drawing on the shared capabilities of Islamic countries,” he said. He noted that Tehran supported any understanding that contributed to strengthening regional unity, cohesion, security, and development. Pezeshkian said Muslim countries could draw on their shared capabilities to offer the world a model of justice and development.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei welcomed senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye as the talks began.
“The talks will focus on regional security, the fallout from military aggression, and support for Palestine and Lebanon,” Iranian media reported.
Pakistan was represented by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, while Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also participated in the meeting. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was also in attendance.
Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis have spiralled in recent weeks, and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran has grown more heated. Both countries have also drawn up plans to restart the wider war, possibly after the US midterm elections on November 3.
Monday’s planned talks are the first high-level contact between Iran and all members of the three-nation bloc since Saudi Arabia was drawn deeper into the conflict. Under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed in August, an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei ?said that discussions on regional security would include “Israel’s expansionist policies, developments in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, and the repercussions of US and Israeli military action against Iran.” Baghaei said the meeting, proposed during a visit by Munir to Tehran last week, could be a first step towards establishing regional security mechanisms based on the interests of countries in the region.
Qatari mediators met Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday in a push to de-escalate regional tensions, Reuters reported. Qatar has, for months, played a mediating role between Tehran and Washington. A senior Iranian official said the meeting was initiated by Pakistan during CDF Munir’s visit to Tehran, as he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials. During the visit, Iranian officials told him there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands were met, according to Iranian media.
Earlier mediation efforts involving both Pakistan and Qatar helped produce an interim peace agreement in June, but the deal quickly unravelled as fighting between Iran and the United States resumed weeks later.
The deputy secretary of Iran’s top security body, Ali Baqeri-Kani, told state TV that Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid, Pakistan’s Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin would visit Tehran for consultations with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on ?regional security.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said the meeting is part of ongoing efforts by the Makkah Pact countries to de-escalate the current crisis, promote diplomatic solutions, and support mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan.
“The visit also underscores the pivotal role of the Makkah Pact states in fostering regional security and stability, and their commitment to working with all nations in the region toward achieving this goal,” Krimly posted on X.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold meetings with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Moscow on Tuesday, Reuters reported citing the Kremlin.