There is no reason to worry about the Mecca Pact against Iran / Iran’s water rights from Afghanistan are on the permanent agenda of relations with Kabul

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Tehran: In a press conference on Monday, coinciding with the arrival of Journalist Day in Iran, Ismail Baghaei, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, answered a wide range of questions about regional security developments, the Strait of Hormuz negotiations, the Caspian Convention, and bilateral cases.

The Mecca Treaty; a sign of the region distancing itself from security brokers
In response to a question about the joint defense treaty between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, Baghaei assessed this development as a sign of a change in the perception of regional countries and said: "Given the developments of the last two or three years, regional countries have realized that security is not a commodity that can be purchased from false security brokers. The principled policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been to encourage regional countries to cooperate and strengthen mutual trust for endogenous security, without relying on actors outside the region."

Referring to the expansionist plans of the Zionist regime, he considered the regime the greatest threat to regional stability and security, adding: "The illusory plan of Greater Israel, which officially targets the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of a significant number of countries in the region, along with the regime's attacks on Lebanon and Syria and the threats made against the countries present in this tripartite understanding, indicate the strengthening of the perception that the countries of the region cannot rely solely on the claim of security provided by the United States, as in the past. The United States itself is part of the cause of insecurity in the region, and without its comprehensive support, the Zionist regime could not carry out its crimes with such a sense of immunity."

The spokesman for the Iranian diplomatic service emphasized that the country believes that security in the region is inseparable and that any plan that is based on the geopolitical and historical realities of the region, is comprehensive and inclusive, and correctly identifies the enemy and threat has the capacity to help strengthen security and prevent instability.

There is no reason to worry about this pact against Iran
In response to another question about this agreement and referring to the Turkish Foreign Minister’s statement that Iran was informed of its details, Bekaei said: “In short, yes; more or less. But there is no reason to worry that this pact is against Iran. The two neighboring countries of Turkey and Pakistan, as well as Saudi Arabia, are three countries with which we have deep religious, historical and civilizational ties. The history of friendship between the nations of Turkey and Pakistan as two neighboring Muslim countries is long-standing. The intertwined cultural ties between the people of Iran, Pakistan and Turkey are quite clear. This development is an important sign that the countries of the region have come to the conclusion that they cannot rely on and trust the claims of security provided by the United States and some other actors outside the region and are trying to try another method by relying on their own capabilities and perspectives, independent of the destructive interventions of external parties.”
In response to a question about the possibility of Iran joining the pact, he recalled that the Islamic Republic of Iran itself has been a pioneer in pursuing security mechanisms based on cooperation between regional countries; security that is endogenous and free from the influence and destructive intervention of actors outside the region. He said: “Those plans still exist and can certainly be updated in light of developments. We are in close contact with neighboring countries and regional countries, and we hope that all countries will learn from the developments of the last two or three years and adopt the best path to strengthen the collective security of the region.”
In response to a question about disambiguating the goals of the pact and proving that it is not against any Islamic country, including Yemen, the Foreign Ministry spokesman sarcastically suggested: “Invite Yemen and occupied Palestine to become honorary members of this pact.”

Iran’s right to Afghanistan; A strategic issue beyond technical discussion
In response to a question about activating Iran's water diplomacy with Afghanistan and referring to the country's Foreign Minister's recent visit to Mashhad and meeting with water sector officials, Baqai stated: "The issue of water has been one of the fixed issues on our agenda with the Afghan parties. In every negotiation and exchange, the issue of Iran's water rights has been raised. We also had some progress in the recent water year, and therefore the issue is not just a technical issue. The technical issue is part of the fixed agenda that we have. You can call it strategic, because the issue is extremely important to us."

Caspian Convention; Response to Critics
In response to criticism of the referral of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea to the parliament, including claims of opposition from military and security institutions or abuse of the war situation, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman called these statements "very simplistic" and, rejecting the suspicion of secrecy, said: "Ten days ago, I explicitly stated that the people have the right to be fully informed. The media, the country's elites, and lawyers should discuss it, but they should see the text of the convention and the precedents. 

He emphasized that the document does not talk about the baseline and that its determination will be pursued through bilateral negotiations with the coastal countries. Baqaei added: “The conclusion in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cabinet was that after seven or eight years and in a situation where four other coastal countries have joined the document and given that this document prevents the militarization of the Caspian Sea, now is the right time to raise the issue. Ultimately, the decision is up to the Islamic Consultative Assembly.”

Strait of Hormuz; Negotiations with Oman and condemnation of America’s breach of promise
Describing the negotiations between Iran and Oman to determine a safe route through the Strait of Hormuz, Baqaei emphasized that the reason for the closure of this waterway was the military aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime, not the dispute between Iran and Oman.
He said: “The Strait of Hormuz was open from the time of the creation of Prophet Adam until 9 Esfand (Hoot) 1404. Let us not forget that the issues that have arisen were and continue to be the result of the military aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime. The US government continues to proudly announce that it is besieging Iranian ports. In these circumstances, the US has no moral or legal standing to demand the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In short, self-imposed sanctions are not a good idea.”
He added that negotiations with Oman are continuing “in a very smooth and constructive manner” and that an understanding has been reached on the traffic map, but technical points still remain regarding the joint statement. Baghaei emphasized that as long as the US naval blockade continues, the conditions for the strait to be completely secure will not be met, and it is up to the US side to stop and compensate for its illegal actions.

Reaction to other international developments
- Kuwait: Baqai criticized Kuwait's refusal to grant consular access to four Iranian nationals and the closure of the Iranian school in the country as a "strange and unjustifiable measure," and said: "Seeking revenge on the most innocent people who use this school to learn is in no way justifiable."
- International Criminal Court: He considered the withdrawal of Chad and Venezuela from the court "a sign of the international community's disappointment with a court" that, under pressure from the United States and its allies, failed to succeed in pursuing the crimes of the Zionist regime and has moved toward "selective justice."
- War crimes: Referring to the documentation of the United States' use of phosphorus and cluster munitions in Lamerd and Minab, he emphasized that "we are still searching for the fragments of our children's small bodies in the ruins of the Shajre Tayyiba school in Minab, and these crimes must always remain alive."
- Ukraine's attack on the Iranian ship: He stressed that the claim of unintentionality was not accepted by Ukraine and that if compensation is not provided, Iran will take retaliatory action.
- Netanyahu's claim about the nuclear program: He described it as "a very clear case of producing lies; that is, from production to consumption in less than six hours" and said that this is a handful of examples of the Zionist regime's 30-year claims about the "imaginary nuclear bomb". In response to Netanyahu's statements about Gaza and the 15-point plan, he also said: "They showed that this regime absolutely does not adhere to any of its commitments and in this particular case, America must be held accountable."
- Chess with America: In response to Trump's comparison of the negotiations to a game of chess and the claim of "negotiations with the lights off," he sarcastically said: "Whether the lights are off or on, the Iranians are great chess players."