Iran Suggests Joining Saudi-Pakistan Defense Alliance

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Iranian adviser Rahim Safavi called the Saudi-Pakistan defense pact a“positive development,” proposing Tehran, alongside Iraq, join to form a wider Islamic regional security alliance.
A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Rahim Safavi, has described the newly signed Saudi-Pakistan defense pact as a“positive development” and suggested Tehran could join the initiative.

The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, signed in mid-September by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh, commits both nations to treat any attack on one as an attack on both. Analysts say the accord marks a turning point in deepening security ties between Riyadh and Islamabad.

Safavi argued that Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq have the potential to form a wider Islamic regional alliance that could strengthen collective defense and security cooperation. He noted that the shifting global focus of the United States from the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region has created an opportunity for such regional initiatives.

While acknowledging that Turkey remains a NATO member and that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan typically act with U.S. approval, Safavi maintained that Iran, as a regional power, should declare its readiness to participate in future security frameworks.

He emphasized that joining or engaging with such pacts would align with Iran's strategy of“military diplomacy” and its broader foreign policy goals of playing an active role in regional security.

Observers note that Safavi's remarks highlight Iran's desire to reposition itself amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, as Gulf states forge new defense ties outside of Western frameworks.

The proposal also underscores Tehran's interest in countering its isolation by seeking common ground with neighbors, though skepticism remains over whether Saudi Arabia or Pakistan would welcome such an expansion.

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