Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish Officials Due in Tehran Today as Iran Rules Out US Talks Until Its Demands Are Met

Since the Houthis began escalating strikes on Saudi Arabia, the war around Iran has pulled in a defense bloc that did not exist a year ago. Today, Oct. 26, that bloc is scheduled to sit down in Tehran.

Iran's deputy Supreme National Security Council secretary, Ali Bagheri Kani, told state television that Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will travel to Tehran for a joint meeting with the council. Two people with knowledge of the plans told Reuters that Khalid bin Salman and Munir would attend, and one of them said the Turkish intelligence chief would also join.

The Saudi government media office, Pakistan's military media wing and Turkey's Foreign Ministry had not responded to requests for comment.

What Iran says the meeting is for

Bagheri framed the visit as part of building what he called "endogenous security" in West Asia. He said the three countries, together with Iran, could take an effective step by drawing on what he described as the Islamic Republic's successful experience in building national security during the "third imposed war."

Bagheri said Munir announced the trip during a meeting with council secretary Mohsen Rezaei. That is Iran's account of how the visit came together.

Munir was in Tehran last week, where he met President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials. Iranian media reported that officials told him there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran's demands were met.

Rezaei put it more bluntly on X after the Munir meeting. "Not a single gram of enriched uranium will be removed from Iran," he wrote. He added that "there will be no negotiations until the United States takes steps to build trust," starting with "full fulfillment of all Iran's conditions."

The Mecca Pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August. Its first article says an armed attack on one member is an attack on all, and commits the parties to use "all necessary means" to eliminate threats to one another's territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to the text Reuters saw. The pact also sets up a framework for intelligence sharing, logistics and defense-industry cooperation.

Pakistan approved the agreement last week. Turkey's parliament began its own ratification process last week and has not finished. Earlier this month, the three countries' ministers met in Riyadh and agreed to "rapid deployment" of forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan has also been the main go-between for Washington and Tehran. Its mediation helped produce an interim peace agreement in June. That deal unravelled within weeks, when fighting between Iran and the United States resumed.

Fighting on the Saudi front

Saudi Arabia intercepted another wave of missiles and drones on Sunday. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh and destroyed more missiles and drones aimed at the kingdom.

The Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi military facilities and on King Khalid International Airport, and warned airlines and travellers not to use it. The group also accused Saudi forces of dozens of strikes across Yemen. None of those claims has been independently verified.

Yemen's armed forces said they carried out 753 strikes on Houthi positions in 24 hours and killed about 218 fighters and commanders. Those figures are also unverified. Yemen's foreign ministry condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi cities, including Mecca and Medina.

At sea, shipping officials describe a pattern. Phillip Belcher, marine director at Intertanko, said the frequency of attacks is rising and with it the damage to engine rooms and disabling fires. Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at BIMCO, said attackers often target the engine room or bridge because that maximizes damage while keeping spill risk relatively low. He warned of significant risk of crew injuries.

Brent crude touched $111.99 earlier last week, a five-month high, and settled that day at $108.79.

Israel votes tomorrow

The diplomacy runs into Israel's parliamentary election on Tuesday, Oct. 27. President Donald Trump urged Israelis to vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praised their joint military actions against Iran and told them to "finish the job that we started." Trump claimed US operations have severely weakened Iran's military and prevented it from getting a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu said he has instructed the Mossad and the military to overthrow Iran's government. He described Iran as a wounded adversary still capable of a final blow.

Israel's Channel 12 reported Sunday that Netanyahu and Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir clashed over a proposed operation that could trigger fighting with Iran before the vote. According to the broadcaster, Zamir asked for a detailed discussion and signed legal authorization from political leaders before carrying out the order. It did not say what the operation was.

The report cited military concerns that political leaders could exploit tensions for electoral gain, and a security official warned of rapid escalation and miscalculation. Netanyahu denied it in a Channel 14 interview Sunday: "There is no confrontation." Unnamed political sources also denied the claims.

Separately, former Iranian culture minister Ali Jannati suggested Washington could launch a major offensive with European and regional allies after the US midterms, with reopening the Strait of Hormuz as a central goal. His remarks did not establish that any such operation is planned.

What to watch

No outcome from today's Tehran meeting has been announced. Whether Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad leave with anything beyond Bagheri's "endogenous security" language, and whether Turkey's parliament completes ratification of the Mecca pact, are the open questions. Israeli voters decide on Tuesday.