Iran backs Chinas call for homegrown security architecture for West Asia
Iran backs China’s call for homegrown security architecture for West Asia
TEHRAN — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has welcomed China’s call for a new security architecture in the Middle East, saying regional countries must take control of their own security and future and stressing that lasting stability cannot be achieved through arrangements imposed by outside powers.
In a post on X on Friday night, Qalibaf said Beijing’s emphasis on the concept of common security was consistent with a principle Iran has advocated for years.
“China’s emphasis on fostering common security reflects a principle Iran has long championed,” Qalibaf wrote.
“Regional countries must be taking their future into their own hands, and true stability can only come through a new security architecture that is homegrown. Iran stands ready,” he added.
Qalibaf’s remarks came shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a four-point proposal for establishing a new security framework for West Asia during talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo.
Xi called for a regional security system based on common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, while urging West Asian countries to strengthen dialogue, reject external interference and take greater responsibility for resolving their own security challenges.
China calls for regional ownership of security
Xi’s proposal places particular emphasis on strengthening the internal drivers of regional security. He said the people of the Middle East should remain “masters of their own affairs” and that countries in the region should take their future into their own hands rather than rely on external powers.
The Chinese president also called for an integrated approach to the region’s interconnected conflicts, arguing that individual crises cannot be addressed in isolation. He identified development as a fundamental pillar of lasting security, while stressing the need to tackle the underlying causes of conflict.
The proposal also calls for stronger international coordination, with the UN Charter and international law serving as fundamental principles for addressing Middle Eastern affairs. Xi urged the international community, particularly outside powers, to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional states and avoid applying double standards.
China also expressed readiness to cooperate with West Asian countries in safeguarding international shipping lanes, advancing economic and development cooperation, building mutual trust and addressing the root causes of regional conflicts.
The emphasis on maritime security is particularly significance amid recent disruptions to regional shipping and heightened tensions around critical waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes. Reuters has described Xi’s initiative as part of Beijing’s broader effort to deepen its role in the Middle East amid major shifts in regional security arrangements and uncertainty over the future role of the United States.
Tehran pushes for a regional security order
Qalibaf’s response is consistent with Tehran’s longstanding call for a regional security framework that reduces reliance on extra-regional military powers.
In a separate statement last month, Qalibaf said Iran had received numerous messages from neighboring countries concerning the formation of new regional security arrangements and expanded economic cooperation. He argued at the time that a “homegrown, independent” regional order would be the basis for lasting peace and security.
The latest convergence between Beijing’s proposal and Tehran’s position comes against the backdrop of a rapidly changing regional strategic environment. The war involving Iran, the United States and Israel has intensified debate among Middle Eastern governments over the reliability of existing security arrangements and the extent to which regional states should depend on outside military powers.
China’s initiative also reflects Beijing’s expanding diplomatic engagement in the Middle East. China previously played a prominent diplomatic role in facilitating the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Beijing has increasingly presented itself as a supporter of dialogue and political solutions to regional disputes.
Xi’s meeting with El-Sisi further underscored Beijing’s effort to deepen strategic relations with Egypt, a major Arab state and an important actor in regional security.
Development and security seen as interlinked
For Beijing, the proposed security architecture is not limited to military arrangements. Xi has explicitly linked regional stability to economic development, arguing that sustainable peace ultimately requires addressing the economic and political conditions that contribute to instability.
That approach broadly overlaps with Iran’s argument that regional security should be built through cooperation among neighboring states rather than through military alliances dominated by external powers.
Egyptian President El-Sisi, for his part, welcomed China’s position and said Cairo was committed to de-escalation, resolving disputes through political means and advancing regional security and development. Egypt also expressed readiness to coordinate with Beijing on exploring a new regional security architecture.
The emerging discussion therefore goes beyond a diplomatic exchange between Tehran and Beijing. It points to a broader debate over what the Middle East’s security order should look like as regional states reassess traditional alliances and seek greater control over the mechanisms that govern their security.
For Tehran, Qalibaf’s endorsement signals that Iran views the Chinese proposal as broadly compatible with its own long-standing call for a homegrown, independent and cooperative regional security order — one in which neighboring states play the central role in determining the region’s security arrangements.
“Iran stands ready,” Qalibaf said, signaling Tehran’s willingness to participate in efforts aimed at building such a framework.
source: tehrantimes.com