Mecca defence alliance members in Tehran to defuse Iran-US, Yemen tensions

Senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye travelled to Tehran amid threats of new US strikes on Iran. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met President Masoud Pezeshkian and were due to discuss tensions with security chief Mohsen Rezaei. The visit by signatories of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is intended to help prevent renewed violence between Washington and Tehran. International Crisis Group analyst Ali Vaez said the mediators would need a credible formula to bridge the US-Iran divide.