Iran's Top Diplomat Calls for Muslim Self-Reliance Amid Gulf Tensions

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi took to social media on Friday to praise the readiness of his country's armed forces, describing them as capable of confronting what he termed the world's most expensive military. In the same post, he called on Muslim nations to set aside differences and rely on their own collective strength in the face of what he described as "hostile outsiders."

The remarks came just hours after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca. That pact brings together three Sunni-majority nations that are all close partners of the United States, at a time when the region is roiled by conflict and Iranian missile fire has been directed at Gulf oil exporters.

Araqchi did not explicitly reference the Mecca agreement in his statement, and it remains unclear whether his call for unity was a direct response to that development. His comments, however, underscore the deepening fault lines in the region as Tehran and its rivals continue to jostle for influence amid ongoing hostilities.