Russia Says Iran Could Join Mecca Defense Alliance

Russia Says Iran Could Join Mecca Defense Alliance Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Iran could eventually join the Mecca Defense Alliance, a collective security arrangement involving Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. Speaking in comments broadcast by Russian state television RT, Lavrov said Iran's participation, potentially alongside Egypt and Algeria, could represent a significant step toward a regional security framework led by Middle Eastern countries. > 'Iran could join the Mecca Alliance in the future. If Egypt and Algeria also joined, that would be a very effective and positive step toward implementing the idea that Russia originally proposed.' Lavrov was referring to Moscow's longstanding proposal for a regional security architecture in the Persian Gulf and wider Middle East, in which countries in the region would take greater responsibility for their own security rather than relying primarily on the United States or other outside powers. Russia first formally presented the concept in 2019 and has sought to revive the proposal in 2026 through discussions with Iran and Arab Gulf states. If Iran were to join the emerging defense framework, it could mark a major shift in the region's security landscape and strengthen calls for a Middle Eastern-led collective security system.