Iran sees regional shift away from reliance on US security
Iran says new Pakistan-Saudi-Türkiye defense pact reflects growing regional efforts to build security mechanisms without outside powers
TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — Iran said Monday that a newly signed defense agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye reflects a growing shift among regional countries toward developing their own security arrangements rather than relying on the United States.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was evidence that countries in the region were reassessing their approach to security following developments over the past several years.
Baqaei said regional states had increasingly recognized that lasting security could not be achieved by depending on external powers, adding that countries were seeking to rely more heavily on their own capabilities and regional cooperation.
The agreement, signed in Makkah last Friday, commits Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to treating an armed attack against one signatory as an attack against all three. The countries have described the pact as a defensive arrangement aimed at strengthening deterrence and regional stability.
Baqaei said Tehran had no reason to view the agreement as directed against Iran, pointing to Iran’s longstanding religious, historical, and civilizational links with Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
He said Iran continued to support regional security mechanisms based on cooperation among neighboring states and free from what he described as foreign interference.
The Iranian spokesperson also said such regional arrangements could be updated in response to changing circumstances, while expressing hope that countries would draw lessons from recent regional developments and pursue collective approaches to security.
Baqaei said relations between Iran and Pakistan remained particularly important and had gained greater significance in recent months. He added that a proposed visit by Iranian officials to Pakistan would take place when the timing was appropriate.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed the defence pact with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, during a telephone conversation.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Dar outlined the agreement’s objectives of strengthening strategic cooperation and contributing to regional peace and security. Araghchi welcomed the briefing and the two officials exchanged views on regional and international developments.
Dar has previously stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature and is not directed against any country. He also said the pact does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral agreements involving its signatories.
The Pakistani foreign minister also discussed the agreement with officials from Kuwait, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau and Canada, highlighting what Islamabad described as its potential contribution to regional stability and cooperation.
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah congratulated Dar on the agreement, while the two sides discussed regional developments and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Dar also briefed other foreign officials on the agreement as Pakistan continued diplomatic outreach following its signing with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
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