Amid Riyadh-Islamabad-Ankara ...
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Can a defense agreement or regional security structure created without Iran essentially wield meaningful regional power?
Iran is undoubtedly one of the major powers in the region and must be taken into account when any kind of regional alliance or security structure is being created. However, regarding the Mecca agreement, I believe that establishing such a structure in itself faces serious challenges. The member countries are not homogeneous in terms of their political and ideological outlook or even their national interests.
Moreover, when it comes to regional security and defense cooperation, the US is above all seeking mechanisms that preserve the arms market, secure its economic interests and guarantee the transfer of energy and oil from the region.
Some member countries have suggested that Egypt and Iran could join. How do you view Iran joining the agreement?
The principle of Iran participating in regional security arrangements is in line with the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, because Iran has always emphasized that regional security should be created by regional countries without the presence of extra-regional powers.
But the important issue is how the structure and command of such an alliance would be defined. One of the objectives the US pursued in the past through pacts such as CENTO, and even through counterterrorism coalitions, was to place the armed forces of regional countries within a structure under its command and control and bring them into line with its policies.
During the fight against Daesh, Iran was also asked to join the international coalition, but it rejected the proposal because it was concerned that Iran’s army and armed forces would be placed in a structure under the influence and direction of foreign powers’ command. Therefore, Iran’s participation in any regional arrangement must be carefully examined, and it must be clear what Iran is giving and what it is receiving in return.
If the purpose of Iran’s participation in such an arrangement is to prevent the agreement from turning into an anti-Iran coalition, could Tehran’s membership be the right decision?
In my view, the circumstances must be assessed at each point in time to determine what Iran is giving and what it is receiving. But Iran is not in a position, given its military and defense capabilities, to enter just any security structure simply to neutralize a potential coalition. Even the US, with all the military capabilities and resources at its disposal, failed to achieve its objectives against Iran. Therefore, what matters is that Iran must ensure that, under the guise of a regional alliance, its capabilities and armed forces are not placed in a structure that could ultimately allow restrictions or controls to be imposed on the country’s defense decisions.