Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials hold talks with Iran's leaders in Tehran

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held talks with Iranian leaders in Tehran on 26 October 2026. The three countries are parties to a defence arrangement known as the Mecca pact.

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman took part. Pakistan's army chief and Turkey's intelligence chief were also in the delegations. The visiting officials met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

A Saudi foreign ministry statement said the officials travelled to Iran as part of efforts to "de-escalate between the parties to the current crisis". According to Iranian state media, the parties agreed to continue discussions.

The talks followed warnings by the United States, Iran and Israel that hostilities could restart in a war that has lasted eight months. They came ahead of Israeli elections on Tuesday and US midterm elections the following week.

According to France 24, the delegations also met Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. France 24 reported that Prince Khalid, General Asim Munir and Ibrahim Kalin met Mohsen Rezaei, whom it describes as Iran's security chief and head of the Supreme National Security Council. France 24 said it was the first joint visit to Tehran by the three countries since they formed the alliance in Mecca in August. It also reported that the meeting ended without concrete announcements.

France 24 reported that a Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Sunday, citing Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei. It said Qatar and Pakistan have led mediation between the US and Iran.

Separately, according to France 24, explosions were heard in Riyadh overnight after the Houthis claimed an attack on the city's international airport on Sunday. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported intercepting three Houthi-launched drones. Egypt's parliament approved President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request to provide defensive military support to Saudi Arabia "if requested", France 24 reported. It said it was not clear what support was on offer.

What is disputed

According to France 24, Israel's Channel 12, citing unnamed sources, reported a confrontation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir over an unspecified new directive in the war with Iran. Netanyahu denied the report.

What each side says

• Iranian state television, quoted by The Hindu, said the parties "agreed to continue discussions to strengthen cooperation... including on regional peace and security".
• Mohsen Rezaei called the talks "very good", according to state television as reported by France 24. France 24 quoted him as saying regional security "should be achieved by the countries themselves, and that we must prevent any kind of foreign intervention". According to France 24, he said emphasis was put on the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, southern Syria, Gaza and the West Bank.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at a press conference in Cairo, said it is "essential to stop any escalation", according to France 24.
• US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington "may do another little Epic Fury". France 24 says this refers to the US-Israeli campaign against Iran.
• Netanyahu, in a video released by his office, said: "We have intelligence signs that our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections."

Beyond Rezaei's account, as reported by France 24, the reports reviewed by Vocemundi give little detail on the substance of the talks. They do not include statements from the Turkish or Pakistani governments, or reactions from the US or Israeli governments. Most of the reporting traces back to a single news agency, AFP.

Analysis

The visit was the first joint trip to Tehran by the three Mecca pact states since they formed their defence alliance in August, and it came after the United States, Iran and Israel warned that hostilities could restart. Officials described the aim as de-escalation, but no concrete outcome was reported. Several paths remain open. Continued talks could give regional states a larger role alongside existing Qatari and Pakistani mediation. Alternatively, events around the Israeli and US elections, or further attacks on Saudi Arabia, could limit what diplomacy achieves. Because the reports do not describe specific proposals, it is not possible to judge how close the parties are on any issue.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.