Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have signed a mutual defense pact amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, Agence France-Presse and DPA reported. The agreement was signed in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to identical statements by the three countries, any armed attack against one of them will be considered an attack against all, with the pact aiming to strengthen common security interests, BTA summarizes.
The signing of the document comes after months of escalation in the Middle East, marked by the war between the US and Iran and a series of attacks on Washington's allies. Saudi Arabia reported casualties in a nighttime attack by Yemen's Houthis, and according to media reports, Riyadh expects new coordinated strikes by Iraqi militias and the Houthis - groups considered allies of Iran.
Pakistani sources quoted by DPA emphasize that the pact is not aimed at Iran and would only gain special significance if the US withdraws from the region and Saudi Arabia feels more vulnerable to Israel. Riyadh and Ankara also insist that the agreement is not aimed at a specific country.
Riyadh also denied any connection between the agreement and "nuclear ambitions", AFP noted.
According to experts quoted by AFP, the pact sends a signal to both Tehran and Washington, which is perceived as an increasingly unreliable partner. "This agreement is one of the clearest signs yet that the Middle East is moving away from a security system organized entirely by the United States", commented Andreas Krieg of King's College London. Analysts believe the pact supports Saudi Arabia's ambitions to establish itself as a regional security provider, while Turkey and Pakistan seek to increase their influence and attract Saudi investment.
Some observers see the agreement as a response to Tehran's new strategic line, which seeks to dominate the Persian Gulf region and control key sea routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. For Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, open sea routes are vital. The Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb have become alternative routes after Iran again blocked the Strait of Hormuz in July. Meanwhile, the Iranian-backed Houthis have imposed a blockade on Saudi ships and are threatening navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb.
The agreement between Riyadh, Islamabad and Ankara also comes at a time when possible progress on the Strait of Hormuz issue is emerging. Tehran said it had reached an agreement with the Sultanate of Oman on a new shipping route. Iranian officials, however, have warned that any reopening of the strait will depend on Washington, which has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
In addition to the maritime threats, Saudi Arabia has also been under attack on its own soil. The Houthis have attacked oil infrastructure, and the coalition led by Riyadh and allied with the Yemeni government has accused the rebels of shelling the border region of Najran, injuring 11 civilians - the most serious attack since the truce in 2022.
The bilateral defense pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was concluded after an Israeli strike on “Hamas“ targets in Qatar, with Pakistani troops and fighter jets already deployed to the kingdom. The new trilateral agreement does not envisage the deployment of Turkish troops in Saudi Arabia. The pact focuses on technology transfers from Turkey to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, intelligence sharing and the development of anti-aircraft capabilities, with Saudi funds expected to flow into the Turkish defense industry. Turkey, although a NATO member, also maintains bilateral security agreements with non-alliance countries, including Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia, and is participating in a counter-terrorism mission initiated by Riyadh. Ankara also has a military base in Qatar.
Pakistan and Turkey have been fighting armed groups they consider terrorist, both inside and outside their own borders, for years. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Houthis for more than a decade, who took over the country in 2014 and now control large parts of the north, including the capital Sanaa. The conflict has escalated again after a series of Saudi airstrikes, despite an unofficial ceasefire in place since 2022.