Shafaq News- Tehran
The newly signed Mecca agreement between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that Middle East security can no longer rely solely on the United States, Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated on Monday, calling for stronger regional ties, greater trust and closer security cooperation.
Speaking during his weekly news conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei dismissed suggestions that the agreement was directed against Tehran, urging neighboring countries not to allow their territories to be used as launching grounds for attacks on Iran while reaffirming Tehran’s opposition to any foreign interference in the region.
Last week, the three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, pledging to treat an armed attack on any one of the three countries as an attack on all.
On international treaties, Baqaei rejected any form of “selective justice,” maintaining that Iran’s participation in international agreements was guided solely by its national interests.
Attention remained focused on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and Oman are holding talks over the future of maritime traffic. “Iran will not allow vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while the war continues,” he added, stressing that any decision to reopen the waterway would depend on prevailing conditions and Iran’s requirements.
Describing the ongoing talks with Oman as “constructive and positive,” he pointed out that the issue of fees had not arisen during the discussions, while characterizing charges for maritime services as a normal practice.
Iran has maintained tight control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the joint US-Israeli war erupted on February 28, 2026, requiring vessels to coordinate their transit with Iranian authorities, undergo inspections and remain within a narrow corridor along the Iranian coast monitored by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Traffic through the waterway, which normally carries around a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and a fifth of its liquefied natural gas, has fallen by about 95%, leaving hundreds of vessels stranded and driving war-risk insurance premiums sharply higher.