TEHRAN; Senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, has urged that Iran should be included in the newly signed defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Proposal for Collective Defence Alliance
General Safavi, a senior commander of the IRGC, suggested that Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq could form a collective defence pact to strengthen regional security. His remarks came after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) in Riyadh, which declares that an attack on either country would be considered an attack on both.
Landmark Agreement Between Islamabad and Riyadh
The defence pact was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, just a week after Israel’s strikes on Qatar disrupted regional diplomacy. Analysts have described the agreement as “historic and unprecedented”, elevating decades of security cooperation into a binding commitment.
Clarification on Nuclear Speculations
Following the pact, speculation arose in international media that Pakistan’s nuclear programme was part of the agreement. However, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan for Zeteo, categorically denied such claims, clarifying that Pakistan is not selling nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Strategic Importance of the Pact
Experts note that the SMDA stands out from earlier defence agreements due to its binding clause, which treats aggression against one signatory as aggression against both. They argue that the pact not only cements Pakistan–Saudi ties but also positions Pakistan as a pivotal Muslim power in safeguarding regional stability and strengthening Islamic unity.
Iran’s Endorsement and Regional Dynamics
Gen Safavi welcomed the accord as a positive development, asserting that U.S. influence in the Middle East was declining as Washington shifts its focus to the Asia-Pacific region. He stressed that this changing landscape provides an opportunity to establish a regional Islamic alliance involving key Muslim states.
