Delegations from the Mecca Defence Alliance, made up of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks aimed at ending the Israeli-US war on Iran and laying groundwork for a regional security framework independent of Washington.
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met senior Iranian officials led by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly confirmed the meeting on X and said the alliance was working toward de-escalation and supporting mediation by Qatar and Pakistan. The visit, he wrote, "underscores the pivotal role of Mecca Joint Defence Agreement countries in reinforcing regional security and stability."
The talks come as the conflict, which began on 28 February, continues to threaten the region and the global economy, and as fears grow of renewed Israeli-US attacks. Higher inflation and energy prices have already cost households worldwide hundreds of billions of dollars. Brown University's Iran war energy cost tracker estimates the additional energy bill in the United States alone at $144bn.
Ali Salehian, director of the Center for Intellectual Diplomacy at the Governance and Policy Think Tank in Tehran, called the meeting significant. He told Middle East Eye that regional actors, excluding Israel, are trying to build an autonomous order based on regional powers rather than outside ones. In his view, the US security guarantee does not work and leaves regional states exposed to retaliatory strikes from Iran. He also pointed to Ukraine as an example pushing regional partners to develop a shared understanding of their threats.
Gokhan Cinkara, director of the Center for Global and Regional Studies at Necmettin Erbakan University in Turkey, said the main motivation for the visit was to make clear that the alliance's members would not take part in a potential attack on Iran. The alliance also wants to reassure Tehran that its defence pact is not aimed at Iran. Cinkara cautioned against expecting a quick breakthrough, saying he did not think the alliance would pursue a joint agreement with Iran. Instead, he said, it is seeking an alternative regional security framework to the Iran and Israel axes.
The meeting also comes amid reports in the Israeli press, which operates under military censorship, of an alleged confrontation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir over a proposed attack on Iran before Israel's elections. Zamir reportedly opposed launching strikes before the vote.
Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, wrote on X that regional countries are increasingly pursuing their own interests, developing independent security arrangements and keeping channels open to Tehran. Their priorities, he said, do not necessarily match those of Washington, and certainly not those of the Israeli government.
Iranian diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the meeting as a chance to lay foundations for a West Asia Security Network. "The security of our region cannot be imported, but rather built by its peoples together," he said. For Saudi Arabia, the talks also offer an opportunity to ask Iran to help mediate an end to renewed fighting with the Houthis in Yemen, as Riyadh wants to avoid opening another front with Tehran.
The United Arab Emirates has stayed quiet about the Tehran meeting. Salehian alleged that the UAE has provided intelligence, security and military support to Israel, and said its position in the region will depend on how its leaders choose to place themselves in these relations.
