Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Pact Sparks Iranian Criticism
An Iranian lawmaker has criticized a new defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, saying it will not bring security to the region. Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, made his comments on social media platform X after the three countries announced the deal in Mecca.
The agreement would treat an attack on one country as an attack on all three, according to statements from the three governments. The pact brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia, nuclear-armed Pakistan, and Turkey, which possesses NATO's second-largest army and a rapidly expanding defense industry.
Saudi Arabia insisted that the agreement does not amount to a military pact and would not affect its existing partnerships. A Turkish government official described the agreement as 'purely defensive in nature', saying the countries had pledged mutual support only for defense.