'A paper tiger': Iran sees Saudi, Turkey, Pakistan defense pact as a major win, expert tells 'Post'

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a new pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, is seen by Iran as a significant win following its aerial attacks on Gulf states, according to experts. Emirati researcher Huda Albadi described the pact as a “paper tiger” but warned it could lead to Israel being framed as the destabilizing power. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif called for “a united military front” against Israel, which he labeled a “threat to the entire Muslim world.”

• Albadi suggested that Israel is a convenient scapegoat to avoid confronting Iran and its domestic supporters, despite Iran's consistent aggression.
• The pact's emphasis on Islamic relations is seen as an attempt to appeal to religious sentiment in the region.
• International relations expert Dr. Arman Mahmoudian noted that the agreement could complicate Jerusalem's normalization efforts with Riyadh by reducing Saudi Arabia's dependence on external security guarantors, including the US.
• Mahmoudian also suggested that while Iran might be uncomfortable with a security framework involving these Sunni powers, it would welcome any development that makes normalization with Israel more difficult.