TEHRAN: Iran has described the joint defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye as a sign of changing regional attitudes towards the United States (US).
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said defence cooperation among the three major regional countries showed that states in the region were adopting a new approach to security matters.
According to a report by Iranian news agency Fars, Baghaei said regional countries had reached the conclusion over the past three years that security could not be secured by relying on what he called “false or fake mediators”.
He said countries in the region had learned from their experiences that regional security required practical measures based on realities on the ground rather than complete reliance on external powers.
Baghaei said any plan that considered ground realities and correctly identified threats could help establish security and prevent instability in the region.
He added that such measures could also help protect the region from instability arising from what he described as the Israeli threat.
The recent defence cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye has been viewed as a significant development amid a changing regional security landscape.
Baghaei’s comments suggest that Tehran views the agreement as more than defence cooperation among three countries. It also sees it as part of broader political changes in the region’s security environment.
Analysts say Iran’s response is significant because Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye all maintain varying defence, political and economic ties with the United States. The three countries are, however, also increasing cooperation on regional security.
Iran’s position is that stronger defence capabilities and greater regional cooperation could reduce reliance on external powers.
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The practical and long-term impact of the agreement, however, will become clearer in the coming months.
