Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey defence pact to create ‘Sunni bloc’ headache for Iran
Sky News AustraliaASPI External Contributor Mark Watson says Iran will view the newly signed defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey as a Sunni bloc in the region. “This again points to the fracturing confidence in the United States’ ability to influence strategic change in the region,” Mr Watson told News24. “The US has good relations with all three of those countries, but Saudi in particular they’ve had a very kind of special relationship. ”Now we find Saudi not turning to the US but turning to other Sunni Muslim states in Pakistan and in Turkey to set up an agreement that they’ve said they want to be like an Islamic NATO. “That’s a bit far-fetched perhaps, but nonetheless they’re hoping that other countries will join. “Iran will see that as a Sunni bloc set in opposition to the Shia regime in Tehran. “So you’re definitely getting a fracturing of the strategic picture that we haven’t seen before.”