Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement, stating that an attack on one of them would be considered an attack on all three.
The pact was announced during a meeting in the Saudi city of Mecca between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Following the US and Israel's attack on Iran on February 28, Tehran and its allies targeted sites in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route, and the Red Sea.
The Mecca agreement has elicited a strong response from Tehran. Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the National Security commission, wrote on his X account that the agreement would not benefit Saudi Arabia. "The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan does not bring them security, just as years of unilateral milking of the Americans did not bring them security," he stated.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had previously announced a joint defence pact last year.
The new Mecca Joint Defence Agreement unites three of the world's most influential Muslim nations, offering mutual defence guarantees. The stated aim is "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 agreement also "provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence co-operation among the three States."
While the pact pledges mutual support, it lacks specific details regarding the obligations of each party. A Turkish official, quoted by Reuters, described the pact as "purely defensive in nature."
Each nation, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, brings distinct advantages to the agreement, with differing objectives.
For Saudi Arabia, this pact offers an enhanced layer of security in a region whose security framework has been destabilized by the US and Israel's conflict with Iran. Last month, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control a significant portion of the country's northwest, declared a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and targeted Saudi airports, oil facilities, and tankers in the Red Sea.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is likely mindful of last year's Israeli strikes in Doha, which targeted senior Hamas officials. A report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies last year noted that "across the Gulf, states recalibrated their defence strategies." This pact represents one of Saudi Arabia's responses.
For Pakistan, the pact presents complementary benefits. In May 2025, its long-standing tensions with India escalated into open conflict. Although an all-out war was averted, having the economic power of Saudi Arabia and the military and industrial capabilities of Turkey as allies is seen as increasingly valuable.
This development also coincides with Pakistan assuming a more prominent role in global diplomacy. It has acted as an intermediary between Iran and the US and hosted ceasefire negotiations, significantly boosting its regional standing – a status further solidified by this pact.
For Turkey, the benefits are different. According to Burcu Ozcelik from the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) in London, the deal provides opportunities for the country's substantial defence industries through "joint production, technology partnerships, procurement and greater military interoperability."
While the concept of a mutual defence agreement appears straightforward on the surface, its practical application in specific circumstances is complex and uncertain.
For instance, would Turkey be obligated to participate in strikes on Yemen if Saudi Arabia's full-scale war with the Houthis were to resume? Would Saudi Arabia be compelled to declare war on India if conflict with Pakistan were to re-emerge?
Each scenario would necessitate intricate calculations and careful diplomacy, often aimed at preventing escalation. In essence, the outcomes remain uncertain.
However, the primary consequence that the involved parties anticipate from a mutual defence agreement is deterrence. The mere presence of two other regional powers backing each nation may not render aggression impossible, but it will significantly increase the potential cost of such actions.
