Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey agree to NATO-style mutual defense pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan — the three most powerful players in the region — have signed a mutual defense pact stipulating that an attack on any one of them "will be considered an attack on all," UNN writes, citing CNN.

Details

A Turkish official told CNN that the pact is "purely defensive" and is not directed against any specific player.

The agreement between the three U.S. allies came at a time when Saudi Arabia is facing threats on several fronts, and will require each country to intervene if another is attacked, similar to the pact among NATO countries.

It "is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression" and "further provides for the strengthening of all aspects of defense cooperation between the three states," according to a joint statement by the three countries.

The agreement was signed in Mecca, the holiest city in Islam and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, which, as noted, imbues it with political and religious symbolism.

In addition to being home to Islam's holiest sites, Saudi Arabia is also one of the world's largest oil exporters. Pakistan is the only Muslim country to possess nuclear weapons.

The agreement was reached following a meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The statement adds that the agreement "is based on the longstanding historical ties between the three states, founded on the strong bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity that unite them, and draws on their shared strategic interests and longstanding cooperation in the field of defense."

From Tehran, they say that the defense pact will not guarantee Saudi Arabia's security

The recently signed mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey will not guarantee the kingdom's security, a senior Iranian official warned in the first reaction from Tehran, issued on Friday.

"The Saudis must understand that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as decades of one-sided dependence on the Americans did not. Change your policy so that you do not have to beg others for security," Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on X.

On Thursday, a Saudi official told CNN that the kingdom is preparing for a large-scale, coordinated attack by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Yemen, supported by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Thus, the agreement may serve as a warning to Tehran about the consequences of a large-scale attack on Saudi Arabia, which would now involve Pakistan and Turkey, sharply broadening the war, the outlet notes.