Iran welcomes Pak-Saudi defence deal as start of ‘comprehensive regional security system’

When Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed their new defense pact earlier this month (Pak-Saudi defence deal), a lot of eyes turned to Tehran. Historically, Iran has not exactly been on the friendliest terms with either country, so you would expect suspicion or pushback. Instead, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, actually welcomed the move and even called it the start of a “comprehensive regional security system.” That is not something you hear every day in this part of the world.

From Iran’s perspective, embracing the deal publicly makes sense. Pezeshkian used his UN speech to stress that real security cannot just be about weapons or threats. It has to be built on trust, respect, and cooperation. He even repeated Iran’s line that it is not chasing a nuclear bomb, trying to frame his country as a reasonable player in a volatile region. Whether people believe that or not is another story, but the timing was deliberate.

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So why would Iran, which has butted heads with both Riyadh and Islamabad, give this a thumbs-up? A few reasons come to mind. First, it keeps Iran in the conversation. If a new security framework really does start forming among Muslim countries, Tehran doesn’t want to be left out. Second, by calling it an “Islamic” initiative, Iran can spin it as part of a broader Muslim solidarity project instead of a Sunni-only club. And third, it lowers the temperature at a time when Iran is already juggling pressure from the West, regional rivalries, and the chaos in places like Gaza and Yemen. It’s a way of saying: we are not here to fight every new arrangement, we want a seat at the table.

Of course, there’s reason to be cautious. The deal itself is still pretty vague. We do not know what “mutual defense” will look like in practice, or how it might intersect with Pakistan’s nuclear program. India has already voiced its concerns, which isn’t surprising given its rivalry with Pakistan. And countries outside the immediate circle like Turkey, Qatar, or even smaller Gulf states will be watching closely to see whether this pact expands or stays limited to two players.

At the end of the day, Iran’s welcome is as much about optics as it is about strategy. Tehran wants to look like a cooperative regional power rather than a spoiler. Whether this pact actually grows into a genuine security system, or just remains a bilateral understanding between Riyadh and Islamabad, is far from clear. But Iran’s early support is a signal that if there is a new security order in the making, it does not want to be on the outside looking in.