Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Forge Defense Pact

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense pact in Mecca on Friday, strengthening security ties between the three countries amid growing tensions in the Middle East.

Under the agreement, an armed attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all of them. The pact does not, however, specify the military commitments each country would be required to make.

A Turkish official said the agreement was defensive, was not directed against any particular country and remained open to other states in the region. It does not replace or supersede existing bilateral or multilateral agreements.

The pact comes amid heightened regional tensions following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February and subsequent fighting. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have also faced threats to energy infrastructure and shipping from Iran and Iran-backed groups.

The agreement follows nearly a year of negotiations and builds on longstanding military ties between the three countries. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan already signed a bilateral mutual defense agreement in September 2025, under which an attack on either country is considered an attack on both.

(Reuters, Lud)