Iran criticises joint defence deal signed by Pakistan, Saudi, Turkiye

A prominent Iranian lawmaker on Friday criticised a joint defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, saying that the deal will not bring security to Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the deal that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security concerns.

Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, criticised the deal on X.

"The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided milking' by the Americans did not bring them security. Change your policies so that you do not have to #BegForSecurity from others,” he wrote.

The agreement was signed in the Saudi holy city of Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to statements from all three countries.

The agreement between the three Sunni Muslim-majority states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Turkiye, which has NATO's second-largest army and a rapidly growing defence industry.

It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.

A statement from Saudi Arabia insisted that the agreement does not amount to a military pact and would not affect the kingdom's existing partnerships.

“The agreement does not represent any orientation toward building a military axis or sectarian/religious bloc, and it is not linked to nuclear endeavors or an arms race, but rather to building sustainable self-reliant capabilities,” the statement read. "The agreement does not come at the expense of the Kingdom's strategic and strong relations at the Gulf, Arab, and international levels."

A Turkish government official described the agreement as “purely defensive in nature,” saying the sides have pledged mutual support only for defense.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the issue publicly, insisted that the deal is “not against any specific actor” and was open for other regional countries to join.

The agreement does not abrogate or replace any bilateral or multilateral agreements between these states or with other states and organisations, the official added.

In addition to the three countries' commitment to supporting one another's security, the agreement seeks to enhance defence industry cooperation and military coordination, another Turkish official said.

In Islamabad, defence analyst Abdullah Khan described the agreement as a natural evolution and formalisation of decades of strategic ties among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, saying a changing regional security environment and the evolving nature of warfare had increased the need for closer cooperation.

Khan said the pact was “purely defensive” and not directed against any country, with collective deterrence intended to raise the cost of aggression and prevent conflict.

The analyst said the three countries bring complementary strengths to the arrangement: Pakistan's military experience and expertise in managing escalation, Saudi Arabia's economic strength and regional influence, and Turkey's advanced defense technology and industrial capabilities.

Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the Ankara office for The German Marshall Fund think tank, said the agreement was the culmination of the countries' shared concerns over regional fragmentation, civil conflict, and armed non-state groups.

“This is a reflection of their growing desire for greater regional stability,” Unluhisarcikli said. “They see state fragmentation, civil conflict, an environment of non-state actors as sources of instability.”

Unluhisarcikli said Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have varying degrees of concerns over Iran and Israel: Pakistan is geographically removed, and while Turkey and Saudi Arabia both see Iran and Israel as destabilizing, Ankara is more concerned about Israel and Riyadh more concerned about Iran.

“At the end of the day, all three countries are concerned about instability,” he said.