RIYADH/ISLAMABAD – Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on Friday signed a joint defence agreement that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers.
The move comes amid a rise in wars, conflicts and military tensions in the region, specifically the war between the United States and Iran, which has drawn in Gulf states and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. The deal stipulates that an armed attack on either of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all.It was signed during a meeting in Saudi Arabia between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in Jeddah.
According to a joint statement, “The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” the statement read.
“It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three states,” the statements said, adding that the agreement was called the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. “ the statement added.
Earlier, a source speaking on condition of anonymity and quoted in media reports reportedly said the deal was “under discussion for a long time, but the latest developments in the region expedite it”.
The three countries have been the subject of months of speculation regarding a potential strategic alliance.
Pakistan has sought to mediate efforts to bring an end to the US-Iran war, while Turkey has played a diplomatic role in negotiations aimed at resolving the war in Gaza.
The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Turkey and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.
A Turkish government official described the agreement as “purely defensive in nature”, saying the sides have pledged mutual support only for defence.
Last September, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan announced a joint defence pact, a move that drew significant attention, given that Pakistan is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed state.
Iran criticises Saudi Arabia over deal
In Iran, Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, criticised the deal on X, saying it would not bring security to Saudi Arabia.
“The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided ‘milking’ by the Americans did not bring them security. Change your policies so that you do not have to #BegForSecurity from others,” he wrote.
The agreement brings together three of the Arab world’s Sunni Muslim-majority states. Iran, with roughly 90-95 per cent of its population being Shia Muslims, is the largest Shia-majority nation in the world.
