Iran Says It Was Not Invited To Join Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye Defence Pact

Iran said on Monday it had not received a formal invitation to join the new Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, rejecting a report that Tehran had been asked to become part of the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan-Türkiye pact.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had received proposals for discussions with regional countries on collective security, but no formal proposal to join the defence agreement had been made. The statement came after Mehdi Rahimi, head of Iran’s parliamentary Khaneh Mellat news agency, claimed that Iran had been invited to join the pact.

The claim has not been publicly confirmed by Iran’s Foreign Ministry or by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Türkiye. Reuters reported that Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was in Tehran on Monday for talks expected to cover regional tensions and the implications of the new defence agreement.

Iran denies formal invitation

The report of an Iranian invitation emerged as Pakistan stepped up diplomatic contacts with Tehran. Rahimi told Al Mayadeen that Iran had received an invitation to join the Mecca agreement and was considering the proposal.

However, Baghaei said Tehran had not received a formal offer to become a member. APA reported the same denial, while Türkiye Today also reported the Foreign Ministry’s position.

Baghaei’s comments distinguish between regional-security discussions and membership of the pact. Tehran says proposals for talks on collective security have been received, but there is no confirmed Iranian membership offer.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye on August 7. The agreement provides for an armed attack against one member to be treated as an attack against all three, Reuters reported.

Munir visits Tehran amid wider diplomacy

The competing claims over Iran’s possible involvement came as Munir arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials.

Reuters reported that Munir’s discussions were expected to include the new Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye defence pact and wider regional issues. His visit also comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the United States.

According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump spoke to Munir before his Tehran trip and urged Pakistan to use its influence to encourage Iran to return to negotiations.

Al Jazeera reported that Munir’s visit followed two telephone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in four days. The Pakistani military chief was expected to meet senior Iranian officials during the visit.

What Iran previously said about the pact

Baghaei had already sought to play down concerns in Tehran over the agreement. On August 10, he said Iran had no reason to believe the pact was directed against it, pointing to the participation of Pakistan and Türkiye, two neighbouring Muslim countries with longstanding ties to Iran.

According to Middle East Eye, Baghaei also argued that regional countries were reassessing their reliance on the United States for security. He said countries in the region had concluded that Washington’s main concern was protecting Israel, echoing Tehran’s broader criticism of US policy in West Asia.

Baghaei’s earlier remarks indicated that Tehran did not view the Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye agreement as being directed against Iran.