Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan Invite Iran to Defense Pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have invited Iran to join the Mecca Agreement for Mutual Defense, a security alliance established on August 7. The pact implements a mutual defense principle where an attack on one member is viewed as an attack on all. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared this mechanism to NATO's Article 5.

The alliance was signed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The member nations are already coordinating diplomatic and military efforts, and Turkey has indicated the pact could expand further to include Egypt.

Mehdi Rahimi of the Iranian parliament's Khaneh Mellat news agency stated the invitation is under review. He characterized the proposal as a victory for Iran's long-standing calls for a regional security umbrella, though the involved foreign ministries have not yet officially confirmed the invitation.