Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca on Friday, bringing together three Sunni Muslim countries allied with the United States amid escalating security challenges in the Middle East.
The agreement comes as regional tensions continue to rise following the February 28 U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Since then, Iran and allied groups have launched attacks against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states and disrupted energy shipments, intensifying instability across the region.
According to a joint statement, the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression. It states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.
The statement did not provide details on the specific military commitments or obligations undertaken by each country. It said the agreement aims to enhance collective security and promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
A Turkish official described the pact as purely defensive, saying it is not directed against any particular country, remains open to other regional states, and does not replace or override existing bilateral or multilateral defense arrangements.
The three countries are said to share concerns over the increasingly assertive military posture of both Israel and Iran, as regional instability deepens despite efforts by the United States to contain the crisis.
