High representatives from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan agreed this Monday to maintain a dialogue channel to "strengthen cooperation" in security matters, with the aim of reducing regional tension amid the 'impasse' of the war launched by the United States and Israel last February.
According to a joint statement released after the meeting, "the participants agreed to continue discussions to strengthen cooperation among the four countries in the region, including in the area of peace and security in the region."
The meeting, held in Tehran, was the first gathering between Iran and the so-called Mecca Pact, the defensive alliance that includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Present from the host country were the president, Masud Pezeshkian, and the secretary of the National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei.
During his speech, the Iranian president praised the cooperation among neighboring countries and emphasized that the Islamic Republic "is willing to take steps to deepen" that collaboration, in order to "resolve differences and leverage the common capabilities of Islamic countries, and to support any understanding that leads to strengthening unity, cohesion, security, and development in the region."
Pezeshkian insisted on the importance of "the unity and cohesion of the Islamic world" and criticized the "violent acts and widespread crimes" of Israel and the United States in the region. "These actions lack legal, human, or rational justification, and make more evident than ever the need for Islamic countries to adopt a common approach to confront aggression and insecurity," he stated.
In this regard, he urged Muslim countries to reach "a common understanding of their goals, outline a clear vision, and continue the implementation of agreements with mutual commitment until the expected results are achieved," demanding "tangible results and generating a true transformation in regional relations."
In the face of the military offensive, the president emphasized that "unity and internal cohesion" have been strengthened and that national "solidarity" has grown. "The people of our country, despite the losses and difficulties suffered, defended their land with strength and firmness. The idea that the Iranian nation can be forced to surrender is false and unfounded," he concluded.
Pezeshkian warned that Washington and Tel Aviv are trying to "create a division between Muslim nations and gradually weaken the main Islamic countries," for which he advocated intensifying cooperation and mutual support among them.
"Threats" from the United States and regional role
For his part, Mohsen Rezaei stated that the attendance of high-ranking officials from these countries in Tehran demonstrates that Washington's pressures are not achieving their goal. In his opinion, the presence of these delegations "demonstrates that American threats have little influence on the countries of the world."
"High-ranking officials from Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia believe that the solution to the problems in the region lies in cooperation among the four countries," said the Iranian official, who emphasized that the delegates "have come to the conclusion that security in Western Asia must be achieved from within the region and that any foreign interference must be avoided."
In the meeting, the Saudi Minister of Defense, Khalid bin Salman; the Chief of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, Asim Munir; and, from Turkey, the head of Intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin participated.
This first initiative of the Mecca group with Iran's participation is interpreted as a step to alleviate regional tensions. In the case of Riyadh, it also represents the first visit of a high-ranking official to the Persian country since the war launched by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu broke out.