Iran said Monday it had reached an understanding with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that regional security should be maintained by countries in the region rather than foreign powers, following high-level talks in Tehran focused on strengthening cooperation and addressing shared security challenges.
Iran and three other countries participating in the Mecca pact — Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan — agreed that regional security should be ensured without foreign intervention, a senior Iranian official said Monday.
"The outcomes we agreed on were that security in the region where we live should be endogenous, meaning it should be achieved by the countries themselves, and that we must prevent any kind of foreign intervention in this region," Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said following the meeting.
The four-way talks in Tehran brought together senior officials to discuss regional security, Israel's activities in the Middle East and developments in Palestine and Lebanon.
Türkiye was represented by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalın, Saudi Arabia by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Pakistan by army chief Asim Munir.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also attended the meeting.
Earlier Monday, Pezeshkian expressed Tehran's readiness to deepen regional cooperation and resolve disputes, calling for greater unity among Muslim-majority countries, according to state news agency IRNA.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, with firm conviction and serious determination, is ready to take steps toward deepening regional cooperation, resolving differences and drawing on the shared capabilities of Islamic countries," Pezeshkian said.
He emphasized that Tehran supported initiatives aimed at promoting regional solidarity, stability and economic development.
The Iranian president also said Muslim countries could harness their collective resources and capabilities to present a model of justice and development to the international community.
The meeting underscored efforts by the four countries to strengthen regional coordination amid continuing tensions in the Middle East.
