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

Tehran is likely to perceive the newly formed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan as a major diplomatic victory, stemming from its recent aerial actions against Gulf states, experts told The Jerusalem Post. This assessment holds true irrespective of the pact's practical effectiveness.

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The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is likely to be viewed by Tehran as a major success resulting from its aerial attacks on Gulf states, regardless of how strong the new pact proves to be, experts told The Jerusalem Post late Monday.

Huda Albadi, an Emirati researcher and foreign policy expert, characterized the agreement as a "paper tiger." However, she cautioned that it signals a troubling shift in regional sentiment, where Israel is increasingly framed as the primary destabilizer, overshadowing Iran's role. Despite the joint statement declaring an attack on any signatory as an attack on all, Iran has simultaneously arranged to import electricity from Saudi Arabia, highlighting a complex geopolitical dynamic.

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the pact was ineffectual, describing it as a “paper tiger,” but warned that it was a sign of a concerning regional mentality emerging that would see Israel cast as the destabilizing power, not Iran.

Albadi criticized Saudi Arabia's inaction against aggressors like Iran and the Houthis, while focusing on Israel. "Saudi Arabia has not taken any action against any of the aggressors attacking its territory... They have not done anything about it," she stated. "However, they are looking at Israel as if it is the enemy. It is delusional at this point because you are being attacked on a daily basis by other aggressors, but you are focusing on a country that is not interested in you and has nothing to do with you."

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Saudi Arabia has not taken any action against any of the aggressors attacking its territory, meaning Iran, the Houthis and the militias in Iraq. They have not done anything about it. However, they are looking at Israel as if it is the enemy. It is delusional at this point because you are being attacked on a daily basis by other aggressors, but you are focusing on a country that is not interested in you and has nothing to do with you.

For Turkey, the pact aligns with its historical aspirations of regaining influence reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire, according to Albadi. She suggested Ankara's involvement reflects a pattern of meddling, characteristic of a government she described as aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif called for a "united military front" against Israel, labeling it a "threat to the entire Muslim world." Albadi, however, doubts that these countries genuinely blame Israel, viewing the Jewish state as a convenient scapegoat to deflect from confronting Iran and its supporters.

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For Turkey, the pact was part of its aspirations to return to the days of the powerful and expansive Ottoman Empire.