Iranian President: Mecca Alliance a Step Toward Muslim Unity

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Mecca Defense Alliance agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan represents a step toward Muslim unity, in an interview with Al Jazeera. He expressed Tehran's lack of trust in Washington during negotiations and denied Iran's responsibility for closing the Strait of Hormuz, stating its reopening is linked to ending the war through talks.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the Mecca Defense Alliance agreement, signed between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is a step toward Muslim unity. This was said in an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera channel on Saturday evening, September 26, 2026. Pezeshkian denied that the agreement is directed against Iran, considering it a positive step toward achieving Islamic unity. Regarding negotiations with the United States, he affirmed that Tehran does not trust Washington and does not know on what basis an agreement can be reached, noting that the negotiations are based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2026. He also rejected accusations that Iran is responsible for closing the Strait of Hormuz, explaining that its reopening is possible if the war ends through negotiations. He described the United States as the aggressor in the war, noting that Iran has not attacked any country for about two hundred years. It is noted that the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28, 2026, and Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and American military sites in the region.