The Makkah Pact Is Here. Iran Is Not Happy.

Leaders of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on Friday signed a trilateral military pact under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was formalized in the holy city of Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The deal builds on existing bilateral defense ties, including a prior mutual defense arrangement between Riyadh and Islamabad, and aims to bolster collective deterrence and regional security cooperation amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

According to details associated with the pact, Saudi Arabia is expected to provide financial resources, Turkey will supply advanced military equipment, and Pakistan will contribute manpower to help defend Saudi Arabia against any attack on its sovereignty. Officials from the three nations described the agreement as a framework to strengthen collective defense, enhance readiness, expand defense industry cooperation and promote regional stability. They have emphasized that it is defensive in nature, open in principle to other countries, and not directed against any specific state.

Iran reacted swiftly. Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stated: “The Saudis should know that paper agreements with Turkey and Pakistan cannot guarantee their security, just as years of unilateral support for the United States did not provide them with security.”

He further added: “Reform your policies so that there is no need to beg for security from others.”

The agreement comes against a backdrop of ongoing regional conflict involving Iran, repeated attacks on Gulf targets, and questions among some Gulf states about traditional security arrangements. Analysts note that the pact unites significant military capabilities: Turkey’s substantial conventional forces and defense industry, Pakistan’s experienced military and nuclear status, and Saudi Arabia’s financial strength and strategic position as guardian of Islam’s holiest sites.

Saudi officials have stressed that the deal does not create a military axis or sectarian bloc, is not linked to nuclear ambitions, and does not replace existing partnerships. A joint statement from the three governments underscored their commitment to collective security and the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation.

Together, the three countries aim to strengthen their collective defence and regional security cooperation. The full text of the agreement has not been publicly released, leaving precise operational details and the exact threshold for mutual assistance unclear. Further developments are expected as the parties implement the framework.