Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged Muslim countries not to allow their territories to be used as launchpads for attacks against Iran [1].
The request comes amid heightened regional tensions where the use of third-party territory for military strikes has become a primary security concern for Tehran. By framing the issue as a matter of collective Muslim solidarity, Iran is attempting to create a diplomatic shield against foreign-backed operations.
Speaking in Tehran on Thursday, Pezeshkian said that Muslim states should not permit their land to be utilized for strikes targeting Iran or other Muslim nations [1]. The president said that such cooperation is necessary to maintain regional stability and protect the sovereignty of Islamic states.
This call for unity aligns with broader rhetoric from other Iranian officials regarding the role of major regional powers. Mohsen Rezaei said that Iran, Türkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Indonesia had a responsibility, as major Muslim countries, to advance unity [2].
The appeal targets a variety of strategic partners and rivals across the Middle East and Asia. Tehran has frequently expressed concern that external powers leverage alliances with neighboring states to facilitate intelligence gathering or military incursions into Iranian airspace.
By calling on these nations to block such activities, Pezeshkian is positioning Iran as a defender of a broader Islamic bloc. The strategy seeks to make it politically costly for other Muslim-majority governments to host foreign military assets that could be used in a conflict with Iran.
“Muslim states shouldn't be launchpads for attacks on Iran.”
This diplomatic push reflects Iran's strategy to leverage pan-Islamic identity to mitigate its security vulnerabilities. By urging neighboring Muslim states to deny launch capabilities to foreign adversaries, Tehran aims to reduce the risk of surprise attacks and isolate external military influence in the region without relying solely on its own defensive capabilities.
