Key facts
- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for Iran to be included in the Mecca Agreement.
- The Mecca Agreement is a mutual defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
- Lavrov stated Iran's inclusion would be a practical step toward regional stability.
- He recalled Russia's earlier proposal for a Gulf security concept.
- The situation in the region changed after US and Israeli military operations against Iran.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for Iran to be included in the Mecca Agreement, a trilateral mutual defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan last month. Speaking at a meeting with students and faculty at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Lavrov said Iran’s participation in a Gulf security system would be an important move toward ensuring regional stability and would be a 'practical step' towards Moscow's vision for the region.
Lavrov recalled that over 20 years ago, Russia had proposed that Gulf countries, including Arab monarchies and Iran, consider organizing a meeting to develop a security concept for the region. He noted that relations between these countries are complex, and Russia aimed to facilitate discussions and confidence-building measures.
The situation, he stated, began to change after the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Tehran. Lavrov also referred to the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which followed a Chinese initiative with Russian encouragement.
He highlighted that the proponents of the Mecca Agreement have emphasized its openness to other countries, mentioning Egypt and Algeria as potential participants. Lavrov suggested that agreeing on the conditions for Iran's participation in such a structure would be the most practical step towards the security model originally formulated by Moscow. Russia, he added, would not seek a leading role in any such regional security arrangement.