Mecca pact nations hold talks with Iran to prevent renewed Middle East war

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held talks with Iran on Monday in an attempt to stop the Middle East war from reigniting, with Tehran saying the discussions were "very good". Officials from the three Mecca pact countries flew to Iran as part of efforts to "de-escalate between the parties to the current crisis", a Saudi foreign ministry statement said. The talks, which included heavyweight Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, followed warnings by the United States, Iran and Israel that hostilities could restart in the eight-month war. It was the first joint visit to Tehran by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey since they formed a defence alliance in Mecca, the holy city in western Saudi Arabia, in August. The delegations met Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The meeting ended without concrete announcements, with the various parties saying they "agreed to continue discussions" according to Iranian state media. But Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the discussions in the capital Tehran were "very good", according to state television. "I feel that a new atmosphere is emerging in the region... I sensed a v...