Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye have expanded their mutual defense pact to include Turkiye, forming a trilateral agreement signed in Mecca on Friday, August 9th, 2026. Under this pact, any external armed attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on all. The announcement comes more than five months after the US and Israel initiated a bombing campaign against Iran, which escalated conflict in the Gulf and disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The three countries have reportedly taken care not to antagonize other regional or international actors during the negotiations, which they describe as the result of years of hard work. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that when Muslims unite, they can confront challenges posed by malicious outsiders.

Analysts from the Clingendael Institute highlighted the pact's timing as significant, noting it follows months of conflict where Saudi Arabia has faced attacks from Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen and armed groups in Iraq. From Tehran's perspective, the pact could strengthen Saudi deterrence and potentially facilitate coordinated pressure on Iran in Yemen, Iraq, and economically through Turkiye and Pakistan.

Separately, Houthi missiles and drones struck the Saudi-backed and internationally recognized government’s Red Sea port of al-Makha in Yemen, resulting in at least seven deaths, 15 injuries, and severe infrastructure damage.

Clingendael Institute’s Azizi suggested that Iran’s priority is likely to avoid the pact becoming an explicitly anti-Iranian coalition amid the ongoing regional war, aiming to preserve individual relations with each of the three countries. He added that if the pact is seen as protection against Iran or Iran-aligned groups, Iranian membership would be difficult. However, if the arrangement evolves into a broader regional security architecture, Iran’s participation might be reconsidered.

Sources