A new powerful military bloc may form against Israel - media

The director of the Iranian parliament's news agency, Mehdi Rahimi, stated that Tehran has received an invitation to join a defense alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. If this scenario materializes, a new military-political bloc could emerge in the Middle East, potentially altering the balance of power. There has been no official confirmation from other alliance members yet.

The director of the official news agency of the Iranian parliament, Mehdi Rahimi, said in an interview with the Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen that Iran has received an invitation to join a trilateral defense alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. According to him, Tehran is studying the proposal and has long supported the idea of a common regional security system. If the scenario is realized, a new powerful military-political bloc could emerge in the Middle East, potentially capable of changing the balance of power in the region. The statement has sparked controversy due to the current confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia; on social media, it is being called propaganda. No official confirmation from other alliance members has been provided. The initiative to form a collective defense system came from Pakistan: a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia was concluded in 2025, after which Turkey joined the bloc. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif publicly linked the new alliance to a potential threat from Israel. Pakistan's relations with Israel have significantly deteriorated after the war in Gaza, and talks about normalization have ceased.