Iran's Foreign Ministry Denies Formal Invitation to Join Pact

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei contradicts the previous day's report, saying Tehran has "not received a formal invitation, but proposals have been raised for dialogue with these countries on matters related to collective security in the region." Baghaei adds Iran has no reason to believe the Mecca agreement targets Tehran. The denial walks back Mehdi Rahimi's Aug 23 claim that Iran had received and was reviewing an invitation.