The power dynamics in West Asia appears to be changing with Saudi Arabia, Tรผrkiye and Pakistan forming a NATO-like trilateral alliance that states attack on one nation would be considered aggression against all three. As of now, the alliance is only between three countries, but its members could increase in future, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan saying Egypt could join Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.
According to Fidan, the agreement will not remain limited to Tรผrkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and will grow over time to “bring all countries under this umbrella”. He said several other countries are interested in joining the alliance, which was formed after extensive discussions for over three years; though he only named Egypt.ย
However, he also clarified that the alliance is not aimed at Iran and is ‘defensive’ in nature.
“When we come together with these countries, it naturally becomes a defense organization. Unless it is attacked from inside or outside the region, this alliance will not take action. I want to underline that Iran is not the target of this alliance. No country that does not attack us is our target,” Fidan said on Saturday, as cited by Tรผrkiye Today.
Fidan’s clarification comes as some believe that the alliance is an attempt to counter the Iranian influence in the Middle East. The alliance remains particularly crucial for Saudi Arabia, which has been facing strikes by Iran-backed militias from Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen.
Iran has also expressed concerns over the pact, but has threatened Saudi Arabia, saying the agreement won’t be able to ensure lasting peace for the Kingdom.
“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,” Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Parliament and National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said on X (previously Twitter).
However, regional observes and analysts believe trio will unlikely target Iran if it strikes Saudi Arabia. Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi security analyst and researcher, agreed that neither country was likely to engage offensively in the short term, but drew a distinction between what the agreement “can deliver now versus what it aspires to become”.
“If proxy attacks on Saudi territory continue and escalate, I would expect Pakistan to deepen its air defence and advisory role inside the kingdom, and Turkey to accelerate defence-industrial transfers,” he said, as cited by AFP.
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