Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei issued a sharp warning to Saudi Arabia following the signing of a trilateral defence agreement with Pakistan and Turkey, claiming the new pact would not guarantee Riyadh’s security.
“The Saudis must know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided dependence on the Americans did not bring them security. Reform your policies so that you do not need to beg others for security,” Rezaei said.
سعودیها باید بدانند که توافق کاغذی با ترکیه و پاکستان برای آنها امنیتآور نیست، همانطور که سالها شیردهی یکطرفه به آمریکاییها برایشان امنیت نیاورد. سیاستهایتان را اصلاح کنید تا نیاز نباشد از دیگران #گدایی_امنیت کنید.
— ابراهیم رضایی (@EbrahimRezaei14) August 7, 2026
His remarks came after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca on Friday, bringing together three Sunni Muslim nations that are key US partners amid escalating regional tensions following the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
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What Is Mecca Joint Defence Agreement?
The agreement was signed as the Middle East continues to grapple with heightened instability. Iran and its regional allies have been launching attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, while also disrupting energy shipments, following the large-scale US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
In a joint statement, the three countries said the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression. The pact states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all.
However, the statement stopped short of detailing the precise military commitments undertaken by each country, leaving unanswered questions over the extent to which the agreement would require direct military intervention in defence of another member.
Turkey Says Pact Is Not Directed At Any Country
Turkish Vice-President Cevdet Yilmaz stressed that the agreement was not aimed at any specific country. A Turkish official also clarified that the pact is purely defensive in nature and does not replace or override any existing defence agreements that Turkey, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan have with other countries.
The three nations have increasingly expressed concern over the growing military assertiveness of both Israel and Iran, while their long-standing ally, the United States, has struggled to contain the regional crisis, which has contributed to volatility in global energy markets.
‘Powerful Political Symbolism’ Amid Regional Crisis
Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center, described the agreement as carrying significant political weight.
“Three of the Muslim world’s most influential states are convening at a moment of heightened uncertainty, demonstrating a growing willingness among regional and middle powers to coordinate more closely on security matters,” Sager said.
He added that the trilateral framework could enhance the three countries’ collective diplomatic and defence influence while contributing to the emergence of a more regionally driven security architecture.
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Turkey possesses NATO’s second-largest military, Saudi Arabia is home to Islam’s holiest sites and remains one of the world’s leading oil exporters, while Pakistan is the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons, making the partnership strategically significant.
Saudi Arabia Rejects Military Bloc Narrative
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly dismissed suggestions that the agreement was intended to create a new military alliance or sectarian bloc.
In a social media post, he said the accord does not represent an attempt to establish a military axis and is not linked to any nuclear ambitions or an arms race.
Although Pakistan signed a bilateral mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia last year, it has refrained from responding militarily to Iranian attacks on the kingdom. Islamabad has also downplayed speculation that its nuclear deterrent could be extended to allies, previously stating that nuclear weapons were “not on the radar” under its defence cooperation with Riyadh.
Both Pakistan and Turkey have also endorsed Saudi Arabia’s proposed maritime defence coalition aimed at protecting shipping lanes and energy routes across the region.
The agreement was formally signed in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, following nearly a year of negotiations first reported by Reuters in January.
Agreement Builds On Longstanding Military Cooperation
The Middle East has remained engulfed in conflict since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Since then, Israel has carried out military operations in Gaza, invaded southern Lebanon, seized territory in Syria and launched two air campaigns against Iran. Tehran, in turn, has launched attacks on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan and Israel.
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Although Turkey and Pakistan have largely avoided becoming direct targets, both countries have sought to reduce regional tensions amid growing concerns over the impact of prolonged instability on their own security and economies.
For Saudi Arabia, years of regional conflict have threatened oil exports, disrupted ambitious economic diversification plans and raised fresh doubts about the reliability of the long-standing US security umbrella.
