Iran hails Saudi-Pak-Turkey defence pact, calls for Muslim unity amid West Asia tensions
Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has welcomed the new defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, calling for greater solidarity among Muslim-majority countries. He also urged them to rely on their own capabilities amid escalating tensions in West Asia.In a post on X on Friday, Araghchi praised Iran’s military and linked its performance to his call for greater regional cooperation.“Iran’s Powerful Armed Forces have shown their readiness, capability, and might in face of the world’s most expensive military,” Araghchi wrote, referring to the US armed forces.“When Muslims stand together, we can face every challenge by malicious outsiders head-on,” he added. “Time to rely only on ourselves and embrace true brotherhood.”His remarks came hours after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the ‘Mecca Joint Defence Agreement’ in Mecca on Friday. The pact states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three, according to the summit statement.The agreement was signed by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. The three countries said the pact would strengthen collective deterrence and defence cooperation.The deal comes amid heightened regional tensions involving Iran and Israel and growing uncertainty over the future role of the United States in regional security. Reuters reported that the agreement is being presented by the three countries as defensive and not directed against any specific nation.The pact builds on the existing security relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The two countries signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in 2025, under which aggression against either country was to be treated as aggression against both.The development comes after US president Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence that the Iran conflict would end “pretty soon”, saying the Islamic Republic “can’t go much longer”. He also voiced optimism over talks on the Strait of Hormuz while reaffirming that Iran must not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.For Iran, Araghchi’s response places the new arrangement within a wider argument for regional self-reliance. His call for Muslim countries to “rely only on ourselves” comes as governments across West Asia reassess security partnerships amid the continuing conflict.
