During his Monday briefing yesterday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismaeil Baqaei said Iran had received no official invitation to join the Mecca defense agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan on Aug. 7, but he clearly indicated that there are ongoing discussions regarding regional security arrangements.
“We have not received an official invitation, but talks have been raised by these countries regarding the general issue of regional security,” he said, reported IRNA. “We have no reason to think that a pact in which three Islamic countries and two Muslim neighboring countries are members is aimed against Iranians.”
He said, however, that the discussions reflected growing concerns among regional states about U.S. policies and their assessment that Washington’s primary concern in the region was protecting the illegitimate interests of Israel. According to Baqaei, regional countries consequently recognized the need to develop indigenous mechanisms to protect the region from Israeli expansionism.
