Iran says Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey pact shows US shift

Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that a defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan showed what it called a “change in perception” in the region towards the United States.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a weekly press conference that countries in the region had realised “security is not a commodity that can be bought from false brokers”, referring to the United States, an ally of the three pact signatories.

“Countries in the region cannot rely on the claim of security provided by the US as in the past,” Baqaei said.

He said Iran was not concerned that the pact could be aimed at Tehran, citing what he called “deep religious, historical and civilisational ties” with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. “There was no reason to worry that this treaty will be against Iran,” he said.

The three countries signed the agreement on Friday against the backdrop of a five-month war between the United States and Iran that has drawn in surrounding nations and disrupted regional shipping routes.

Pakistan's foreign ministry said Friday that the pact meant an attack on any member would be regarded as an attack on all, adding that it was “intended to strengthen collective deterrence”.

Turkey had earlier said the joint defence pact was not aimed at any particular country. Burhanettin Duran, the Turkish presidency's communications director, wrote on X that the Mecca Agreement would strengthen the three countries' shared security and collective deterrence and contribute to regional peace and stability.

Analysts cited by AFP said the pact seeks to deter an emboldened Iran and offset an unreliable United States.