TEHRAN — A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that any “miscalculation” against Iran would be met with a decisive response, a day after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, wrote on X that the defense pact, signed on Friday, demonstrated that Arab states in the region had come to recognize that security could only be achieved through regional cooperation.
“The Mecca pact shows that Arab countries have finally realized that security depends on cooperation among regional countries,” Azizi stated.
However, he added that the signatories had yet to find the correct path toward establishing a lasting regional security framework. Azizi also cautioned against any “potential miscalculation,” asserting that Iran had consistently proven its ability to respond to any threat.
“Strong Iran has proven that no mistake will go unanswered,” he wrote.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all, according to a joint statement. 
The agreement aims to strengthen collective security and promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
The pact comes amid declining U.S. military power in the region and growing concerns over regional security architecture. Turkey has been expanding its military influence in the region and beyond, including in the Horn of Africa and in Iraq and Syria.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said on Friday that security in the Persian Gulf region must be built from within the region, with all regional countries participating in its provision.
“Security is something that must be built from within the region, and all regional countries should participate in providing it,” Gharibabadi said in a pre-recorded interview with IRNA.
Iran has long advocated for a regional security framework that excludes extra-regional powers, particularly the United States. Tehran views the presence of foreign forces in the Persian Gulf as a threat to regional stability and has repeatedly called for dialogue among Gulf states to resolve differences.
The trilateral defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey represents a significant realignment in the region, one that Iran views with caution. While Iran has historically maintained close ties with Turkey, Islamabad has also cultivated close ties with Tehran amid growing tensions with the United States.
However, Saudi Arabia’s pivot toward Turkey and Pakistan, while maintaining its own defense cooperation with Iran’s rivals, presents a complex security challenge for Tehran. Iran’s warnings suggest a heightened vigilance in monitoring this new defense arrangement, which could be seen as an attempt to balance Iranian influence.