Iran has issued its first major public response to the new Saudi Arabia–Turkey–Pakistan defence agreement, with Iranian parliamentarian Ebrahim Rezaei calling it a “paper agreement” that will not bring Riyadh real security. The warning comes as the Mecca Joint Deterrence Agreement pledges that an attack on Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Pakistan will be treated as an attack on all three. At the same time, Saudi Arabia continues to face pressure from the Iran war and the Houthi naval blockade, which threatens Saudi-linked shipping through the Red Sea and key oil-export routes. This video breaks down Iran’s reaction, the Houthi pressure campaign and what the new defence alignment could mean for MBS and the wider Middle East.
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