Mecca pact states and Qatar meet Iranian officials in Tehran on de-escalation

Envoys from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye and diplomats from Qatar met senior Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday to try to prevent a return to all-out war. Al Jazeera reported that the three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August and that the talks were the first high-level contact between Iran and those nations since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28. Al Jazeera said reports suggest the sides stopped short of an agreement.

DW reported that the visit came amid rising fear that the US and Israel are preparing new attacks on Iran after the US midterm election on November 3. Gulf News reported that no agreement to stop Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia was announced.

What we know

• Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Minister of Defence Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud attended the Tehran meeting, days after Iran-aligned Houthi fighters struck Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities.
• DW reported that Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior officials, and that Saudi Arabia said the trip aims to open negotiating channels and "prevent the return of military escalation".
• DW reported that Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television: "Very good discussions took place between us,".
• Gulf News reported that Iranian state television said the countries agreed to continue discussions on regional peace and security.
• Al Jazeera reported that Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, speaking during a visit to the University of Cambridge on Monday, called for a regional security framework, including a "non-aggression pact", between the Gulf countries and Iran under which the United States would no longer be the primary provider of security.
• Gulf News reported that Qatari foreign ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi called for a new regional security framework and said: "The ball is now in Iran's court to commit to these principles and demonstrate good faith,".

What we don't know yet

• Whether Iran will accept the Qatari proposals: Al Jazeera said Reuters reported that Qatari mediators presented a draft deal on Sunday, and that Reuters later quoted Iranian officials as saying Qatar's ideas were unacceptable.
• What was on the agenda: DW said details remain scarce.
• How much damage the Houthi attack on the Ras Tanura refinery caused, which Gulf News said remained unclear after Vanguard reported a fire that had been contained.
• What form Egypt's military support for Saudi Arabia will take, which Gulf News said remains unclear.

Background

Qatar Standard reported earlier that Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca pact in August 2026, and that its core provision treats an attack on any one signatory as an attack on all. In earlier coverage of the Tehran visit, Qatar Standard noted that To Vima reported that Saudi Arabia's deputy minister for public diplomacy, Rayed Krimly, said Riyadh backs mediation led by Qatar and Pakistan.