Mecca defence pact members to weigh Iran plan for Houthi talks in Riyadh

Emergency talks on Iranian proposal

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey will convene an emergency committee meeting in Riyadh to discuss an Iranian suggestion to open political negotiations with Yemen's Houthi movement. Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the upcoming talks during a news conference in Islamabad, noting that the precise date would be confirmed later. The initiative was presented as a diplomatic alternative to military action following a series of strikes directed at Saudi territory. Dar stated that he briefed Tehran on Pakistan's commitments under the tripartite security agreement. He added that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi both seek a conclusion to the hostilities while distancing Iran from Houthi fighters and Iraqi militias.

There is no written, solid offer. It is brainstorming between two foreign ministers.

Security escalations in Saudi Arabia

The diplomatic review follows an alleged Houthi attack on the Taibah electricity distribution station in Medina, a civilian facility supplying power to the Prophet's Mosque. The Pakistani government condemned the incident as a grave provocation and a danger to regional security, demanding an immediate and unconditional end to such operations. The Medina incident follows earlier reported strikes against Saudi targets, including an attempted attack against Mecca in September. Regional authorities also recorded ballistic missile launches aimed at the city of Khamis Mushait and a separate assault on the Saudi-led coalition command center in Aden. Pakistani military commanders reaffirmed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, expressing a formal commitment to the protection of Islam's holy sites and the defense of Saudi sovereignty.

Houthi denials and transit disputes

The Shura Council, the upper house of Yemen's Houthi-controlled parliament, strongly condemned the accusations concerning the Medina installation, calling them blatant slander by Riyadh. The council stated that the claims were intended to mislead Islamic and international public opinion and obscure Saudi Arabia's military difficulties. It pointed to its operations in support of Palestinians and the Al-Aqsa Mosque as evidence of its principles.

Those who fulfill their religious and moral duty of confronting the true enemies of the nation will never attack sacred sites or civil infrastructure in the land of the two Holy Mosques.

Dar also addressed broader regional maritime security during his briefing, stating that commercial vessels should face no fees or transit tariffs to pass through the Strait of Hormuz during the seven-month confrontation between the United States and Iran. In addition, Dar stated that Pakistan expects Afghanistan to prevent its territory from being used to launch cross-border attacks.

Institutional development of the Mecca pact

The three member states established the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August 2026, pledging to treat an armed attack against any single member as an attack on all three. Alliance delegates held their first formal session on 31 August 2026, and member military chiefs met in Riyadh on 25 September 2026 to coordinate defensive measures. The alliance will maintain its permanent headquarters in Saudi Arabia, where Pakistan has designated retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as its first secretary general. More than six additional nations have expressed formal interest in joining the mutual defence agreement. Dar explained that prospective new members cannot be admitted until the organizational framework is fully established, a process expected to take up to one year.