Member of the Political Council of the Ansar Allah movement, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, said, “It is truly striking that when these people go for, as they say, peace in the region, Egypt and its parliament declare support for the so-called defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in doing so it declares war against the Republic of Yemen.”
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, along with Pakistani Army Commander Asem Munir and Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin, participated on Monday in a meeting in Tehran with Iranian officials with the aim of "reducing the escalation in the region" at a time when the confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia is escalating.
The Houthis escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia this month, including strikes on Riyadh Airport, one of which killed 13 people and injured hundreds of others on October 10, in the deadliest attack on the Kingdom’s territory in more than a decade.
Iranian state television reported on Monday that the meeting agreed to “continue discussions with the aim of enhancing cooperation, including in the areas of regional peace and security.”
This is the first joint visit to Tehran by officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, since the three countries formed a defense alliance last August.
This visit came in light of renewed confrontations between Riyadh, which leads a military coalition in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, and the Iran-backed Houthis, in July due to the impact of the war in the Middle East, and with the collapse of a truce that had been in effect in Yemen since 2022.
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan met with Iranian officials in Tehran today, Monday (October 26, 2026), as part of efforts to reduce the escalation in the regional conflict, at a time when the Yemeni Houthi group continues to launch attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Official media reported that the four countries agreed at the conclusion of the meetings to continue dialogue to enhance cooperation in areas including peace and security.
Iranian state television reported on Monday that the meeting agreed to “continue discussions with the aim of enhancing cooperation, including in the areas of regional peace and security.” The talks came after warnings from the United States and Israel of the possibility of a resumption of hostilities.
These talks are the first high-level contact between Iran and the three countries, which concluded the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, since the Iran war broke out.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the visit comes as part of efforts to “reduce escalation” and “encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions,” and stressed the importance of opening negotiation channels “to prevent the return of military escalation in the region.”
Saudi and Iranian officials said that Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman represents Saudi Arabia, while Pakistan is represented by its army commander Asim Munir, and Türkiye is represented by the head of its intelligence service, Ibrahim Kalin.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said that the meeting, the idea of holding which was raised during Mounir's visit to Tehran last week, could be a first step towards establishing regional security mechanisms.
A senior Pakistani security official said that today's meeting focused on building a regional non-aggression network. He added that the agenda also included the US-Iranian talks, the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the Strait of Hormuz, and the US blockade imposed on Iranian ports.
Today, Monday (October 26, 2026), the Egyptian Parliament agreed to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia to support it in confronting attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis, at the request of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, according to what parliamentarians and local media reported.
The government newspaper Al-Ahram reported that the House of Representatives “agreed to authorize President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
At Sisi’s request, Parliament held three secret sessions to discuss the issue of providing defense support to Riyadh, but postponed a vote on the matter twice.
Sisi had asked Parliament last week to authorize him to provide military support to the Kingdom if it requested it, in light of its exposure to almost daily attacks from the Houthis.
It is still unclear what form of defensive support Egypt can provide to Saudi Arabia, given that its army is the largest in the Arab world. In addition to hundreds of thousands of military personnel, the army possesses combat aircraft and advanced air defense systems sourced from the United States, China, France, and Russia.
Al-Sisi confirmed on Wednesday that Cairo’s proposal to provide military support to Riyadh is “to defend Saudi Arabia’s lands and does not include an attack on Yemen.”
He explained in a speech during an event organized by the government entitled “Egypt Forum 2026” that “what is meant is to defend the Kingdom’s lands and borders, and the lands of any other Arab country if Egypt is asked to do so.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty said this month that Egypt was “seriously considering” joining the Mecca Agreement.
Since then, Egypt has intensified its diplomatic activity, as Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati held consultations with the “R4” group, which includes Cairo, Riyadh, Islamabad, and Ankara, and is part of the Mecca Defense Agreement.
Abdel Ati said on Monday that he speaks daily to the Iranians as part of efforts aimed at reducing the escalation in the region.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo on September 15 to meet with Sisi, where they discussed security and navigation issues in the Red Sea, in the wake of renewed fighting in Yemen.
