Iran Unfazed by Dhaka’s Position on Mecca Pact: Envoy

Iranian Ambassador to Bangladesh Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi has said Tehran has no concerns over any decision Bangladesh may take regarding joining the proposed Makkah Peace Pact.

“Tehran considers Dhaka’s foreign policy balanced and does not see the initiative as being directed against Iran,” the envoy told journalists after paying a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir at the Foreign Ministry today.

“We are well aware that the Bangladesh government follows a very balanced foreign policy. Therefore, whatever decision your government makes does not concern or worry us,” he said.

Jahanabadi said Iran does not consider the Makkah Pact an initiative targeting Tehran. Rather, he described the proposed arrangement as “a clear sign of the weakness of US security in the Middle East.”

The ambassador said Iran has no conflict with Saudi Arabia and maintains good relations with Riyadh. He also described Türkiye and Pakistan as “very good friends” of Iran, saying Tehran therefore has no concerns about the proposed pact.

Asked whether Iran had sought to join the initiative, Jahanabadi said Tehran had neither submitted a formal request nor made any proposal to become a member.

“However, if an invitation or offer is extended to us by the member states of the Makkah Pact, we will consider it,” he said.

The envoy recalled that Iran had proposed a similar regional security framework around a decade ago, including the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East and a joint defence pact among Islamic countries in the region.

“We do not regard the Makkah Pact as a threat to Iran, and we remain entirely unconcerned,” he added.

Referring to the recent military confrontation between Iran and the United States, Jahanabadi said Tehran targeted US military installations in countries across the region but did not attack the sovereign territory of Arab states.

Earlier, during his meeting with the Iranian ambassador, State Minister Kabir expressed Bangladesh’s hope for an early end to regional tensions and lasting peace and stability for people both within and beyond the region.

The two sides also discussed issues of mutual interest, according to a Foreign Ministry press release.