Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan to sign joint defence pact amid regional escalation

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan 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.Deal signals Saudi Arabia and Turkey alignmentEarlier, 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.The deal highlights how far relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have shifted toward alignment and partnership after being highly strained just a few years ago, including over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul by Saudi operatives.According to a statement from Saudi Arabia, the agreement does not amount to a military pact and would not affect the kingdom’s existing partnerships.“The agreement does not represent any orientation toward building a military axis or sectarian/religious bloc, and it is not linked to nuclear endeavours or an arms race, but rather to building sustainable self-reliant capabilities,” the statement read.“The agreement does not come at the expense of the Kingdom’s strategic and strong relations at the Gulf, Arab, and international levels.”While 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 dealIn 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.