TEHRAN: Iran has described the recent defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as a sign of changing regional thinking toward the United States, saying greater cooperation among regional countries could help strengthen security and reduce dependence on external powers.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said defence cooperation among the three major regional countries indicated that states in the region were adopting a new approach to their security concerns.
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 obtained by relying on what he described as “wrong or false intermediaries.”
He said countries in the region had learned from their experiences that ensuring regional security required realistic and practical measures based on regional capabilities rather than complete dependence on external powers.
Baghaei maintained that any initiative that takes ground realities into account and accurately identifies existing threats could contribute to establishing security and preventing instability in the region.
He further said such measures could also help protect regional countries from instability arising from what he described as the Israeli threat.
The recent defence cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye is being viewed as a significant development against the backdrop of a changing regional security environment.
Baghaei’s remarks suggest that Tehran does not view the agreement merely as a bilateral or trilateral defence arrangement but also considers it part of broader political and security changes taking place across the region.
The Iranian response is significant because Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye all maintain varying political, economic and defence relations with the United States, while simultaneously seeking to expand cooperation with one another on regional security matters.
According to Iran’s position, strengthening collective defence capabilities and cooperation among regional countries could reduce their reliance on outside powers and enable them to address security challenges through regional mechanisms.
However, the practical implications and long-term impact of the defence cooperation will become clearer as the three countries move forward with implementing the agreement and expanding their security coordination.
