The president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, defended on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) the creation of a regional military alliance between countries in the Middle East and the Islamic world. The statement was made during a press conference in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to the Iranian leader, the bloc would function in a manner equivalent to a “Muslim NATO“. The proposal foresees that the group will be led by Pakistan, justifying the appointment by the fact that the neighboring country is the only nuclear power in the Islamic world.
REGIONAL COOPERATION
The project presented by Tehran aims to establish a cooperation front aimed at economic development, strengthening cultural ties and guaranteeing the mutual defense of national sovereignties. According to Pezeshkian, long-term stability in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf depends directly on joint mechanisms formulated and headed by local governments themselves, shielding the region against external interference and threats.
The Iranian president listed strategic nations to form part of the defense treaty: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye. He highlighted that the expanded dialogue seeks to mitigate historical noise and build a common understanding of internal security.
NUCLEAR DEFENSE
During the bilateral meetings detailed by the state agency Tasnim, Pezeshkian highlighted his country’s resilience in the face of recent attacks promoted by the United States and Israel. He classified the offensives as lacking legal justification and reported that the actions resulted in civilian deaths in southern Iran.
The president adopted an inflexible stance on the country’s military sovereignty. The president categorically declared that Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal has not been and will never be the subject of international negotiations. This position was publicly endorsed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who assured that Iranian defense capabilities and missiles were completely excluded from any memorandum or terms of international discussion.
Pezeshkian took the opportunity to express deep distrust towards the North American government. However, the Iranian leader considered that Tehran maintains open channels for peaceful dialogue, as long as international obligations are respected by all parties involved.
US$30 BILLION GOAL
In addition to alignment in the area of security and intelligence, the delegation sent by Tehran dealt with structural counterparts to consolidate what Sharif called “iron friendship” between the two nations. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has set a goal of increasing bilateral trade to the level of US$30 billion annually.
To facilitate financial and commercial flow, the governments plan to expand territorial connectivity routes for cargo transit, in addition to implementing customs facilitation mechanisms and direct cooperation between the banking systems of the two nations.
