Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan sign new defence deal

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed a defence agreement on Friday. This deal aims to boost security cooperation as military tensions rise in the Middle East.

The agreement is called the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. It focuses on strengthening the response to attacks on any of the countries involved.

The deal states that if any of the three countries faces an armed attack, it will be seen as an attack on all of them. This was confirmed in a joint statement from the three countries.

The agreement was announced by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Saudi state media. It was signed in Mecca, which is the holiest site in Islam, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The joint statement said, "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."

It also mentioned that the deal would improve all aspects of defence cooperation between the three countries.

The ongoing war between the US and Iran has affected Gulf states heavily. These states have faced Iranian retaliatory strikes since the war began in February. Reports have highlighted attacks on Saudi Arabia’s crucial infrastructure and oil facilities earlier this year.

In July, a new conflict emerged between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Recently, Saudi Arabia’s national oil company had to shut down its Jazan oil refinery after a Houthi missile attack damaged key facilities. To protect its economy amid this ongoing war, Saudi Arabia is looking to expand its defence partnerships.

Though Turkey and Pakistan have not experienced direct attacks, both countries want to ease regional conflicts that could harm their security and economies.

Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for public diplomacy, Rayed Krimly, clarified that this agreement is not a threat to any nation in the area. He emphasized that it is not about nuclear ambitions or an arms race. It is more about building strong, self-reliant capabilities.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said this joint agreement serves “the interests of our homelands and enhances the security and stability of our region.”

On the other hand, Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei warned that the pact alone would not bring regional security. He stated, “Saudis must know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided nursing to the Americans did not bring them security.”