Iranian defence official calls for regional Islamic security alliance

Iranian defence official calls for regional Islamic security alliance Iran's acting defence minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, has called on Islamic countries to establish a regional security belt, arguing that greater cooperation is needed to address shared security challenges. According to the IRNA news agency, al-Reza made the proposal during a telephone conversation with Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif. The remarks come as countries across the Gulf continue to reassess regional security arrangements following the conflict that began in late February. Iran has maintained that its military operations targeted US interests, while several Gulf states have disputed that claim and said civilian infrastructure was also affected.