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Pakistan Says Mecca Pact Members to Hold Emergency Talks on Engaging Houthis

Iran has suggested political engagement with the Houthis, and Pakistan says the pact committee will weigh the idea against military action.

  • Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced an emergency meeting of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement committee in Riyadh next week to discuss Iran's suggestion for political engagement with Yemen's Houthis.
  • Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, pledging that an armed attack on one member constitutes an attack on all three; military chiefs met in Riyadh on September 25 and condemned Houthi attacks.
  • Dar stated Iran wants the matter concluded, proposing political engagement as an alternative to "kinetic action." He described the suggestion as "brainstorming between two foreign ministers" made in good faith.
  • More than six countries are keen to join the pact, though new membership requests cannot be entertained until the agreement becomes fully operational, a process potentially taking up to a year.
  • Dar addressed the Strait of Hormuz, asserting there should be no fees to cross the waterway, which serves as a central bargaining chip in the seven-month US-Iran conflict.
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The Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mekong Defence Agreement, composed of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, will soon meet in Riyadh to consider developments in the region, informed the Vice-Premier and head of the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ishak Dar. "The Parties have generally agreed on a meeting of the committee to be held very soon in Riyadh," says Dawn.

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Al-Monitor broke the news in Washington, United States on Friday, October 2, 2026.
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