Iran Warns Saudi Arabia That New Defense Pact With Pakistan and Turkey Won't Ensure Security

Iran has intensified its warnings to Saudi Arabia following the kingdom's recent mutual defense agreement with Pakistan and Turkey. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that the new security pact will not guarantee Saudi Arabia's safety, according to a report by CNN on Saturday. Tehran aims to downplay the strategic significance of the alliance and convey to Riyadh that expanding its military partnerships will not shield it from regional threats.

Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of Iran's parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, sharply criticized Saudi reliance on its allies, stating on social media platform X that just as American military bases failed to provide security, so too will dependence on America's proxies be ineffective.

The defense agreement, signed over the weekend in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, deepens military cooperation among the three Muslim powers. It stipulates that any armed attack against one country will be considered an attack against all three. The pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence amid Saudi concerns about potential Iranian aggression and possible conflict involving Israel and Turkey.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry described the agreement as enhancing collective deterrence against any act of aggression and noted it includes improved intelligence sharing and technological cooperation. Military exercises involving the three nations are also expected to take place soon as part of the enhanced security collaboration.