Opinion

West Asia’s New Emerging Political Architecture

Zafar Bangash

Jumada' al-Ula' 21, 14482026-11-01

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Something quite extraordinary happened on October 26. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and Turkish Intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin visited Tehran to meet Iran’s political and security officials.

It was extraordinary because this was the first time since the creation of the Joint Defence Pact on August 7, 2026, that representatives of the three countries came to Tehran to discuss regional security and political developments. While relations between Iran and two members of the Makkah Pact, as it is called—Pakistan and Turkiye—are relatively stable, it is a different story with Saudi Arabia.

So, what drove the Najdi Bedouins to Tehran where they met Iran’s Secretary General of the Supreme National Security Council, Major General Mohsen Rezaei? Also in attendance was Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Later, the delegation met President Masoud Pezeshkian too.

Rezaie emphasized that West Asian security must be rooted in the region and protected from foreign interference. This has been Iran’s position all along but the Arabian dictators have sought protection from the imperialists and zionists, the avowed enemies of Allah and the committed Muslims, while hoping to contain the fallout from this untenable policy.

So, what has changed to bring the Bedouins to Tehran? The regional dynamics are changing so rapidly that Arabian rulers are left with no choice but to make amends.

A word of caution, however, is in order. Their Beduoin upbringing makes the Banu Saud a treacherous lot; especially Muhammad bin Salman (MbS). He is untrustworthy yet his desperate situation forces him to make U-turns.

The other members of the Makkah Pact, Pakistan and Turkiye, face their own peculiar challenges. Pakistan is gripped by internal turmoil and is on the verge of bankruptcy. It will face an existential threat if the US and zionist Israel attack Iran again. Turkiye shares similar problems but it is the Bani Saud-ruled kingdom that is on the verge of collapse. Its de facto ruler, MbS fears getting his head chopped off.

The medieval kingdom’s traditional protectors—the US, Britain and to a lesser extent France—are no longer willing or able to come to its rescue. Facing a determined challenge from the Ansar-Allah of Yemen as well as serious internal challenges, MbS is desperately seeking a way out. Hence, the dispatch of his younger brother Khalid to Tehran.

Following the quadrilateral meeting in Tehran, Rezaei said the meeting reached a shared conclusion that regional countries must take responsibility for their own security (our emphasis). They agreed to continue consultations to strengthen cooperation, peace, and stability.

Speaking after the meeting, Rezaei said regional cooperation and coordination “should have begun a long time ago.” He added that the visit by senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye to Tehran had demonstrated that “US threats do not influence the countries of the world.”

The October 26 meeting occurred at short notice and against the backdrop of Israeli warplanes violating Iranian airspace. Tehran decided not to respond to such provocations. The Israelis had violated Iraqi airspace to enter Iran but then returned to home.

Under the circumstances, Iran’s restraint was prudent. It did not want to jeopardize the quadrilateral meeting because that has been a long-term desire of the Islamic Republic. How far such cooperation will go is yet to be determined.

Amid US-zionist threats to relaunch the war against Islamic Iran, the Arabian regimes realize that they will be the major losers in any renewed conflict. The Saudi foreign ministry said the visit by its defense minister and representatives of the countries involved in the Makkah Pact was intended to reduce escalation among the parties to the regional crisis.

The Banu Saud want the best of both worlds. They want to pacify Iran by handshakes and smiles but remain tied to the American security umbrella which is no longer available. They cannot cut themselves from the US umbilical cord.

The Saudis requested Iran’s help in mediating a halt to Ansar-Allah attacks on Saudi infrastructure. These have devastated the Saudi economy. The Bani Saud also want to be spared Iran’s retaliation in the event of US-Israeli attacks on Iranian energy facilities.

But as Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaie pointed out, Tehran is looking for action not words. Regional security means, first and foremost, the removal of US military bases from the region. These bases have been used to launch attacks on Iran and to defend the zionist entity, the greatest source of instability in the region.

Further, the new regional security architecture must include the Arabian states’ recognition of Iran’s full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran demands the right to hit any foreign military bases in the region to defend itself. There can be no compromise on this.

West Asia is on the cusp of major changes. The old architecture, created by the Sykes-Picos agreement of 1916, is being dismantled and new arrangements are being forged. The Arabian regimes must realize, if they haven’t already, that they can no longer rely on the US for protection.

Since most Arabian regimes including ‘Saudi’ Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE are artificial entities, they may also disappear in the new arrangement. So will the zionist monstrosity, another artificial creation and an illegal intrusion into the region.

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