Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday welcomed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, expressing hope that other regional and Islamic countries would join the initiative.
According to a statement cited by Iranian authorities, Pezeshkian said Iran had long believed that unity and solidarity among Islamic countries could prevent Israel from easily attacking Muslim nations.
The Iranian president expressed hope that other countries in the region and the wider Islamic world would join the process and expand cooperation in the defense, political, economic and cultural fields.
His remarks came after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Mecca Agreement was not directed against any third country.
Fidan made the comments during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
The Turkish foreign minister also said the agreement provides for the possibility of other countries joining, adding that a roadmap for such participation had been developed and that the principles governing cooperation were being worked out.
Iran had said on August 24 that it had not received an official invitation to join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.
Tehran said, however, that it had been offered dialogue on issues related to collective security in the Middle East.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed on August 7 by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The agreement provides for strengthening collective deterrence among its signatories, with an armed attack against one participant to be regarded as an attack against all three.
It also envisages closer military cooperation and coordination among the participating countries.
The agreement further provides for joint projects in the defense industry, potentially expanding cooperation beyond military coordination to defense production and related capabilities.
Iran’s endorsement comes as regional countries continue to discuss mechanisms for strengthening collective security and defense cooperation amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Pezeshkian’s call for other Islamic and regional countries to join the initiative could potentially broaden the framework beyond its three current members, although Tehran has not been formally invited to join the agreement.
The Iranian president’s remarks also signal Tehran’s interest in greater regional cooperation in defense and security while emphasizing the broader objective of strengthening ties among Islamic countries.
