Now Reading: Iran says Saudi defence pact with Turkey, Pakistan is paper
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Iran says Saudi defence pact with Turkey, Pakistan is paper
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on August 7, 2026, declaring that an armed attack on any one of them would be treated as an attack…
The Story in Brief
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on August 7, 2026, declaring that an armed attack on any one of them would be treated as an attack on all. The pact, announced after a summit attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and defence cooperation through joint exercises, training and intelligence sharing.
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, dismissed the agreement on X as a 'paper agreement' that will not bring security to Riyadh. '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,' he wrote. India's external affairs ministry said it was closely following the development.
The Indian Opinion
The Iranian official's dismissive tone may reflect genuine concern about a rival bloc forming, but calling the pact a 'paper agreement' ignores that both Turkey and Pakistan have significant military capabilities. Saudi Arabia has been diversifying alliances after attacks on its oil facilities, while the Houthis have threatened Red Sea ports. The real test will come: if Iran or its proxies actually attack Saudi interests, will Ankara and Islamabad send troops? That question will determine whether this is real deterrence or just ink on paper.
Sources (5): ndtv.com, ndtvprofit.com, hindustantimes.com, thehindu.com, news.abplive.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above.
