Iran Hails Mecca Pact as Regional Shift

By Staff, Agencies

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, said the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey reflects a growing regional realization that lasting security cannot be achieved by relying on foreign powers.

In comments at a weekly press conference on Monday, Baqaei said the trilateral agreement could be viewed as an indication of a shift in the way countries in the region perceive security.

He noted that Iran has consistently called on regional countries to cooperate and strengthen their own security without relying on foreign actors, stressing that the latest development should be taken into consideration.

Baqaei said regional countries had, particularly since the start of the genocide in Gaza and "Israeli" attacks three years ago, increasingly recognized the source of the greatest threat to stability and security in the region and beyond.

He pointed to the Zionist entity’s attacks on Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, as well as its threats against other countries in the region, saying such developments have strengthened the understanding that regional states can no longer rely on the United States claims to provide security.

The Iranian spokesman also said the US itself has contributed to insecurity in the region, arguing that the "Israeli" occupation entity could not have carried out its actions without American support.

He stressed Iran’s view that regional security is indivisible, saying that any initiative that correctly identifies the enemy and the threat could contribute to strengthening security.