TEHRAN Aug 7, 2026 – An Iranian lawmaker has sharply criticized a newly signed trilateral defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, warning that the deal will not provide lasting security for Riyadh.
Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Parliament and its National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, posted on X that “a paper agreement with Türkiye and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided nursing to the Americans did not bring them security.” He urged Saudi Arabia to “reform your policies so that you do not need to beg for security from others.”
The remarks came hours after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” in the holy city of Mecca. The pact includes a collective-defence clause stating that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all three, and it aims to strengthen military cooperation and deterrence.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan described the agreement as purely defensive and said it builds on existing bilateral ties. Officials from the three countries stressed it does not create a military axis or sectarian bloc and does not affect their existing partnerships.
The deal was signed against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, including the ongoing US-Iran conflict, repeated attacks on Gulf states and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Iran and Saudi Arabia have long competed for influence in the Middle East, and Tehran has frequently voiced scepticism about Riyadh’s security arrangements with external partners.
Rezaei’s statement reflects Iran’s view that external alliances alone cannot guarantee security and that Saudi Arabia should adjust its regional approach. The three signatories, for their part, present the pact as a practical step to enhance collective deterrence amid the current instability.
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