Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that Iran's armed forces had demonstrated their readiness and strength in confronting what he called the world's most expensive military, and urged Muslim countries to unite and rely on themselves in the face of "hostile outsiders."
Araghchi's remarks came as Iranian officials have increasingly promoted regional security arrangements led by countries in the region rather than foreign powers.
Earlier on Friday, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Gulf countries had increasingly concluded that regional security should be ensured by the countries of the region themselves.
Gharibabadi said Gulf leaders had already shown the political will to launch a new regional dialogue process, including through a proposed meeting of Gulf foreign ministers, and that such a process could move forward if peace and stability return to the region.
Regional tensions escalated on Feb. 28, when Israel and the US launched coordinated attacks on Iranian military, nuclear and energy infrastructure. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli and US targets across the region.
Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 through Pakistani and Qatari mediation, ending active hostilities and launching negotiations toward a final agreement. The talks later stalled over disputes concerning maritime security and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement on Friday in Mecca that says "any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all."
