Russia calls on Iran to join Gulf security system

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called  for Iran to be included in the regional security system in the Gulf region.

Speaking at a meeting with students and faculty at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Lavrov stated that Iran's participation in the Gulf security system would be an important practical step to ensure regional stability.

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He recalled that more than 20 years ago, Russia proposed that Gulf states, including Arab monarchies and Iran, consider holding a meeting to develop a security concept for the region.

"Recognizing the complexity of the relationship between them, we started from the assumption that we would facilitate a meeting, discuss each party's grievances, and reach an agreement on specific steps to build mutual trust," he said.

"We believe that these discussions will be easier to hold if the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are involved simultaneously," he added.

Lavrov said the situation began to change after the US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Tehran.

"Several years ago, before the Israeli and US aggression against Iran, relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia were normalized thanks to China's initiative and our active encouragement," he said.

The Mecca Agreement as a practical step towards Moscow's vision

Lavrov also referred to the Mecca Agreement proposed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey as a framework "for collective security and defense alliance".

He highlighted that the parties to the agreement had emphasized that the door remained open to other countries, including those outside the Gulf region.

"Egypt is often mentioned. I am sure that if Algeria shows interest, that too will have a positive impact at some point," Lavrov said.

"If such a structure also agrees on terms regarding how Iran can participate in this process, I think that would be the most practical step towards the concept that we initially formulated," he added.