Pakistan

Islamabad, October 27, 2026. The Pakistani press is presenting the Tehran meeting of Monday, October 26, as a national diplomatic success. According to The Express Tribune, Marshal Asim Munir, chief of defense and army forces, "is believed to have proposed" the idea for this meeting; Iranian spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the initiative came from him and that Tehran accepted after examining the proposal. Munir was accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Facing them, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, welcomed Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın, before a meeting with President Massoud Pezeshkian. This, the daily newspaper emphasizes, is the first high-level contact between Iran and all the signatories to the joint defense agreement of Mecca, concluded in August.

At the end of the discussions, the four countries agreed to pursue a dialogue aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, including on peace and security. The statement, released by Press TV, announces neither a security agreement, nor a ceasefire, nor an agreement on Yemen. The Express Tribune nonetheless estimates that maintaining this channel "carries considerable significance". Riyadh, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says it wants to open channels to prevent escalation and prepare an agreement.

Pezeshkian advocated for the unity of Muslim countries, assured that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons while reserving the right to civil nuclear power, and condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. The context is significant: Houthi attacks have multiplied in recent weeks, and Washington and Tehran are said to have prepared plans to resume the war, perhaps after the US midterm elections on November 3. Spokesman Baghaei judged that "the American side is not serious about negotiations".

On Geo News, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, for his part, affirmed that Pakistan would defend Saudi Arabia "with full force", the defense of the kingdom being "equally paramount" to that of Pakistan. He mentioned a written commitment from the three countries to respond together to any threat covered by the pact. Thus, the Pakistani press conveys two messages: active mediation with Tehran and displayed military solidarity towards Riyadh.