Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan form new defense alliance
Photo: Turkish soldiers (Getty Images)
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have signed a mutual defense pact amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The agreement stipulates that an attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all three, according to Reuters.
What the agreement entails
The pact was signed in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Negotiations on the agreement lasted about a year.
According to a joint statement, the deal is aimed at strengthening collective deterrence and countering potential aggression. However, the parties did not specify the exact military commitments they are undertaking or what actions would be triggered in the event of an attack.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said the agreement is not directed against any specific country and is purely defensive in nature. He added that it does not override the participants' existing commitments to other nations.
Amid regional escalation
The agreement comes against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East. Iran and its allies have carried out attacks on Gulf countries, raising concerns about the region's energy and transportation infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan say they are seeking to strengthen regional security. Saudi Arabia remains one of the world's largest oil exporters, Türkiye has NATO's second-largest military, and Pakistan is the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons.
A Saudi official separately said the new pact does not represent the creation of a military or sectarian bloc and is not linked to nuclear ambitions or an arms race.
As previously reported, Iran warned Gulf states that if the United States launches new strikes on its territory, Tehran could retaliate against countries in the region and their energy infrastructure.
