Saudi Arabia’s move to sign a trilateral defence pact with Tรผrkiye and Pakistan drew an immediate reaction from Iran, which said a ‘paper agreement’ will not ensure lasting security for the Kingdom, hinting that Tehran might continue its proxy strikes against Riyadh, while its conflict with the United States (US) continues.
“The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan does not bring them security, just as years of unilateral milking of the Americans did not bring them security,” Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Parliament and National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said on X (previously Twitter).ย ย
Saudi Arabia and Iran have been two regional rivals of the Muslim world, and observers believe that the trilateral pact is aimed at neutralising the threat from Tehran for Riyadh. The trilateral pact, called the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement”, is similar to the one of the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) under which an attack on country would considered an aggression against all three.
Observers and regional experts also believe that the Saudis want to diversify its defence partnerships and increase its influence in the Middle East amid the ongoing Iran conflict, but Tรผrkiye has insisted that the pact is not “aimed at any particular country”.ย ย ย
“The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” the joint statement read. “It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States.”
Will the Saudis get nuclear protection?
For years, the Saudis have been trying to diversify its defence partnerships and reduce the dependence on the US. The Saudis have consistently faced strikes from Iran-backed militias from Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen, which observers believe has been a key reason for the Kingdom to sign the trilateral pact.
Although the pact is similar to NATO, it was not linked to “any nuclear ambitions” and was not a threat to any country in the region, a Saudi official said on Friday. He said the deal “does not constitute a threat to the security of any country in the region, nor does it represent an escalation of tensions between any two states”.
“The agreement does not represent an effort to establish a military axis or a sectarian bloc. Nor is it linked to any nuclear ambitions or arms race, rather it is focused on building sustainable capabilities,” said Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly in a post on X.
Tรผrkiye also backed this and said the deal was “not aimed at any particular country”.
“The Mecca Agreement, which is not aimed at any particular country, will strengthen the shared security and collective deterrence of the three nations… thereby making significant contributions to the preservation of peace and stability in our region,” Burhanettin Duran, the Turkish presidency’s communications director, posted on X.
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