Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, under which an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against them all.
The agreement was signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, attended by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.
Regional powers are looking to strengthen security ties against the backdrop of the US-Israel war on Iran, which started on February 28, and has had a major impact on the region — drawing in several Gulf countries and paralysing maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has launched multiple attacks on regional countries housing US bases and has also warned states against allowing their territory or facilities to be used for Washington’s attacks on Tehran.
Pakistan has been in the spotlight since the war began as it has played the role of a key mediator between the warring US and Iran.
In the statement, the Foreign Office said the pact reflects the three countries’ shared commitment to strengthening collective security and promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
“The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” it added.
The agreement also provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three countries, the FO statement added.
Turkiye has Nato’s second-largest military. Saudi Arabia, the strongest Gulf state, is one of the world’s top oil exporters, while Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country.
This comes a year after Pakistan signed a mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, committing both sides to treat any aggression against either country as an attack on both.
In a statement last month after Houthi attacks on the kingdom, the Foreign Office reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia’s security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity.
Yemen’s Houthis have added pressure to Gulf energy exporters who are already under strain from Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by threatening Red Sea shipping — another key route for oil exports.
