Iranian parliament National Security Committee chairman Ebrahim Rezaei issued a new statement Friday evening, rejecting the tripartite defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan as 'purely formal and completely meaningless.' The remark follows Rezaei's earlier warning to Saudi Arabia hours earlier that the agreement would not bring security.
Ebrahim Rezaei, chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, issued a new statement Friday evening dismissing the tripartite defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan as 'purely formal and completely meaningless.' The remark escalates Rezaei's earlier criticism of the pact, which he had warned would not bring security and which he characterized as directed against Iran.
Rezaei's first statement on the matter came Friday afternoon (15:25 Jerusalem), when he was quoted by Abu Ali Express as saying the pact is directed against Tehran and that 'paper agreements will not bring security.' Hours later, at 17:15 Jerusalem, Rezaei escalated further, warning Saudi Arabia to 'stop begging others' and asserting that the pact would not provide security. The new statement Friday evening marks a third, more dismissive iteration, rejecting the agreement outright as 'meaningless.' The progression of Rezaei's rhetoric—from a claim of directedness to a direct warning to outright dismissal—reflects a hardening Iranian stance as the day progressed.
As The Zioneer reported early Friday (02:29 Jerusalem), channels affiliated with the Iran-led Axis of Resistance have expressed concern that the pact is aimed against Iran and its proxies. In a separate development, Iran's defense minister proposed a competing regional security alliance to Turkey in early August, though Ankara's response was not confirmed. The tripartite pact is viewed by Tehran as a strategic counterweight to its regional influence, particularly amid ongoing tensions with the United States and Gulf states.
No official responses from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or Pakistan to Rezaei's latest statement have been reported. The practical implications of the pact and its implementation timeline remain unclear.
4 developments
- StrongIranian FM spokesman: Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi defense pact not directed against Iran, citing deep ties
- DevelopingIranian parliament presidium member: Response to attack will ignore Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact
- DevelopingIran: Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey defense deal shows 'change in perception' toward US
- DevelopingIranian advisor: Pakistan lost neutrality after joining Saudi-Turkey defense pact
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