Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman is leading a Saudi delegation taking part in meetings hosted by Tehran on Monday for the countries of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement. The meetings are part of de-escalation efforts in the region and aim to encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions. The agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan met in Istanbul on August 31. Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir and Türkiye’s chief of intelligence Ibrahim Kalin will take part in the meetings, said Ambassador Rayed Krimly, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Public Diplomacy. In a post on the X platform, he added that the representatives of the Makkah agreement will meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Mohsen Rezaei. He said that the visit is taking place within the framework of ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions between the parties to the current crisis and to support mediation efforts undertaken by Qatar and Pakistan, underscoring the importance of bolstering dialogue and diplomatic solutions to defuse existing tensions. Krimly pointed to the role played by the member states of the Makkah pact in supporting regional security and stability, as well as working with regional countries to achieve this goal.
