Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan Sign Joint Defence Pact Amid Regional Tensions

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have signed a key defence agreement that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three. The agreement was signed in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The 'Mecca Joint Defence Agreement' brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia, nuclear power Pakistan, and Türkiye, which has NATO's second-largest army and a rapidly growing defence industry. The agreement would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.

The deal stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all, and provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three countries. Saudi Arabia has been looking to diversify its defence partnerships, while Türkiye and Pakistan have also been seeking closer ties with each other.

Iran's Parliament member Ebrahim Rezaei criticised the deal, saying it would not bring security to Saudi Arabia. However, analysts say the agreement is a natural evolution of decades-long strategic ties among the three countries, and will allow for deeper coordination in diplomacy, defence production, and technology transfer.