The three countries have agreed to treat an armed attack on any one of them as an attack on all
Iran has lashed out at a new mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, as Riyadh seeks to strengthen its security partnerships amid escalating conflict across the Middle East.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Friday, pledging that an armed attack against any one of them would be regarded as an attack on all three. The pact is described as an effort to strengthen “collective deterrence” and expand military coordination and defense-industry cooperation.
Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, has dismissed the pact and accused Riyadh of relying on foreign powers for protection.
”The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Türkiye and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided ‘milking’ by the Americans did not bring them security,” he wrote on X.
”Change your policies so that you do not have to beg for security from others,” he added.
The signing comes as Saudi Arabia says it faces growing security threats stemming from the US-Israeli war on Iran, during which Tehran and Iran-aligned forces have attacked Gulf states accused of aiding Washington’s military campaign.
A Saudi official told CNN this week that the kingdom was preparing for “multiple coordinated attacks” by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen, while the Houthis have renewed strikes on Saudi territory and shipping routes.
A major attack on Saudi Arabia could now potentially draw Pakistan and Türkiye into the conflict under the new pact, widening a war both countries have so far largely sought to avoid. However, the joint statement did not specify what assistance each country would be required to provide.
The new treaty has also revived speculation about the emergence of an “Islamic NATO,” given Saudi Arabia’s major oil production and regional influence, Pakistan’s large military and nuclear arsenal, and Türkiye’s NATO membership and possession of the bloc’s second-largest army.
Saudi and Turkish officials, however, have stressed that the pact is purely defensive, is not directed against any specific country and does not amount to a military or religious bloc.
India, which has strained relations with both Pakistan and Türkiye but maintains close ties with Saudi Arabia, said it was closely monitoring the new agreement.
Experts have noted that closer cooperation could give Pakistan greater access to Turkish military technology and Saudi financial backing. However, Middle East Expert Mohammad Muddassir Quamar told RT it is too early to conclude that the pact will significantly alter the security balance in the region, as many similar pacts among Islamic nations in the past failed to produce tangible results.