“Security emanating from the region.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry talks about an initiative proposed during the “Mecca Pact” meeting in Tehran

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said on Monday, “The Tehran meeting, in the presence of senior officials from Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, could be an introduction to establishing regional security emanating from the region.” This comes after the Deputy Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, announced that Saudi Arabia will be represented at the meeting by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan will be represented by Army Commander Field Marshal Asem Munir, while Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), will be represented by the head of the intelligence service, Ibrahim Kalin.

The official Iranian news agency (IRNA) quoted Baghaei as saying: “This initiative was presented during the visit of Pakistani Army Commander Field Marshal Asim Munir to Tehran, and the Islamic Republic of Iran viewed it positively. After completing the necessary preparations, it was decided to hold this meeting today.”

Baghaei added: “From our point of view, the mere fact that the countries of the region are seeking to find mechanisms for regional security that are based on and take into account their interests, or even thinking about these mechanisms, is a blessed thing. This meeting could constitute an introduction to further steps towards establishing security emanating from the region, which is what we have insisted on for several decades, stressing that the security of the region cannot be established except by relying on the will of its countries and taking into account their security concerns.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman continued: “The events of the last two years, especially the past eight months, have proven that sustainable and reliable security in our region can only be achieved by building trust and cooperation among the countries of the region.” Baqaei said: “These issues will be discussed during the meetings of the three officials with the President of the Republic and the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Since this meeting is the first of its kind, there are various topics for discussion and decisions on them. The discussions will include the most prominent issues affecting the security of the region.”

The Saudi Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Public Diplomacy, Raed Qarmali, had previously stated in a post on the “X” platform, Twitter, that the meeting would be held on Monday, and that “representatives of the countries of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement will meet His Excellency the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, and His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei.” Kirmli explained: “The visit comes within the framework of the continued efforts of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement countries to reduce escalation between the parties to the current crisis, encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions, support the mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and emphasize the pivotal role of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement countries in establishing security and stability in the region, and working with all countries of the region in order to achieve that goal.”