Iran has been formally invited to join the newly formed security alliance—the “Mecca Mutual Defense Pact”—spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
This information was reported on Saturday by the Lebanon-based media outlet Al Mayadeen, citing a senior Iranian official.
However, there has been no official confirmation regarding this invitation from the Iranian government or the foreign ministries of the three alliance members (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan).
Tehran Reviewing the Proposal
Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament’s news agency “Khaneh Mellat,” told Al Mayadeen, “Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Pact, and the matter is currently under review.”
He added that countries in the Middle East and surrounding regions are moving towards establishing a collective regional security system.
Describing this as a strategic victory for Iran, he claimed that Tehran had long been advocating for such an integrated regional security framework.
What is the Mecca Pact?
On August 7, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif jointly signed the historic “Mecca Pact.” The alliance was formed with the aim of strengthening regional security and enhancing mutual cooperation in the defense sector.
The pact establishes a mutual defense policy. Under the agreement, an attack on any one of the three member nations will be considered an attack on all of them. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared this mechanism to NATO’s Article 5.
However, he clarified that the alliance was not formed against Iran or any other specific country.
The member nations have already begun working to strengthen diplomatic and military coordination among themselves. This includes regular meetings between foreign ministers, defense ministers, and military chiefs, as well as joint military exercises and mutual cooperation in the defense industry.
Alliance Expansion and New Dynamics
Turkey has indicated that the alliance could be opened to other countries in the future. Egypt has even been openly discussed as a potential member. Iran has so far responded cautiously yet positively to this agreement. On August 10, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that there is “no cause for concern” for Tehran regarding this new security alliance.
In his view, this move demonstrates that other nations are also recognizing the necessity of regional security.
Analysts believe that if Iran’s inclusion is officially confirmed, it could bring about significant shifts in the long-standing political and geopolitical equations of the Middle East. This is because, although the alliance was initiated by three countries maintaining good relations with the West, Iran’s participation would transform it into a broader regional security bloc.
