Iran Denies Receiving Invitation to Join Makkah Pact
Iran's foreign ministry says no official invitation has reached Tehran, contradicting a parliament media chief's claim it is under review.
Iran denied receiving an official invitation to join the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday (24/8) that no formal invitation had reached Tehran. His remarks contradicted claims by Mehdi Rahimi, head of Iran's parliament news office, who had earlier said Iran had been invited and the proposal was under consideration. The Makkah pact was signed by Arab Saudi, Turkiye and Pakistan on 7 August in Makkah. According to Pakistan's foreign ministry, the agreement stipulates that an armed attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all three. The pact has drawn attention amid rising regional security concerns and US-Iran tensions.