Pakistan

Qatar says Iran needs to show good intentions for mediation efforts to succeed

Qatar urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt threats against Gulf states, saying Tehran must demonstrate goodwill for mediation efforts to succeed.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of 81st United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, US, September 22, 2026.
A woman walks next to a banner with a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, earlier this month.

Iran security chief meets Supreme Leader Khamenei after talks with Mecca pact countries

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud prepare to pose for a picture before the first committee meeting under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.

Mecca defense pact faces test as Saudi delegation arrives for high-stakes Iran talks - analysis

National flags of Pakistan (L) and Saudi Arabia flutter at Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs premises in Islamabad on March 29, 2026. Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey met on March 29 for talks on the war in the Middle East, with Islamabad acting as a go-between fo

Tehran hosts Saudi defense pact states as Iran-backed Houthis launch more attacks


Is the Saudi defense pact misunderstood amid Houthi attacks? - analysis

The concept behind the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement seems more about starting a process than enabling these countries to rapidly deploy to any of their partners' homelands.

TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, August 7, 2026.

US VP Vance says Iran war 'will end immediately after the election'

US Vice President JD Vance says the Iran war will enter a 'different phase' after the midterms in an interview on Air Force Two.

Vice President JD Vance arrives at Joint Base Andrews Tuesday, 15th September 2026

UN monitoring findings point to continued al-Qaeda activity 25 years after 9/11 - analysis

Although al-Qaeda’s senior leadership is marginalized and its capability and intent to conduct external operations remain unclear, the organization has survived through adaptation.

Supporters of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden shout anti-American slogans, after the news of his death, during a rally in Quetta May 2, 2011.

Pakistan orders Afghan medical students home, bars new Afghan admissions

In a statement released Tuesday night, the Afghan Embassy said the decision would have a significant impact on the academic progress and future of Afghan students.

Ali Nawaz, a resident of Bannu, receives medical treatment at the Lady Reading Hospital after being injured in a cross-border attack, amid fighting between Pakistani and Afghan forces, in Peshawar, Pakistan, March 3, 2026.

Pakistan warns Iran to rein in Houthis as Riyadh strikes back

The Houthis struck an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby cities on Tuesday, wounding 73 people, in one of the biggest attacks on Saudi Arabia since the start of the war.

Members of Houthi security forces sit on a rock at the site of a rally held to commemorate Mawlid, marking the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, in Sanaa, Yemen, August 25, 2026.

Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia is a test of new Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact - analysis

Now there are questions about whether Pakistan or Turkey will respond to the Houthi attacks. Both Pakistan and Turkey have been wary of any conflict with Iran.

Houthi strike on Saudi forces.

India confronts a new regional security equation as Mecca pact takes shape - analysis

Kuwait invoked the UN Charter’s self-defense provision after Iranian attacks, while the Mecca alliance’s mutual-defense clause has not been publicly tested

TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, August 7, 2026.

US authorities on the hunt for four Pakistanis in $770 million Medicare fraud case

the four allegedly used a call center operated under the name Hello International Marketing Solutions (HIMS) to obtain Medicare beneficiary information, including identification numbers.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building is seen in Washington, DC.

Turkey and Pakistan are growing closer, but where does China fit in? - opinion

Turkey, Pakistan and China are forging a new security triangle. The Middle East should pay attention.

China's Information Support Force (ISF) personnel march during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, September 3, 2025.

Turkish FM calls Netanyahu 'enemy of humanity,' claims Mecca agreement not directed at any country

"The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is not directed against a specific country," Fidan said, adding that the member states are considering establishing a mechanism to add new members.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and other officials pose before the first committee meeting for the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, in Istanbul, Turkey, August 31, 2026.