Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defense agreement on Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced, deepening cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security concerns.
The agreement was signed during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia.
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia sign a mutual defense deal
(Video: Reuters)
“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 further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States,” the ministry said in a statement.
The agreement comes as Saudi Arabia has heightened its military readiness following intelligence warnings of possible coordinated attacks by Iran-backed militias. According to CNN, citing a Saudi official, intelligence shared by Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional partners indicates that Iraqi militias, coordinating with Yemen's Houthi rebels under the direction of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, may be planning strikes against the kingdom in the near future.
Saudi officials believe the attacks could be launched simultaneously from Iraq in the north and Yemen in the south, potentially targeting civilian and economic infrastructure, including energy facilities, airports and ports. The warning follows a recent escalation in Houthi attacks, including strikes on Yemeni government forces and claimed attacks on Saudi-linked targets, even as Riyadh continues diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions with Tehran.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
(Photo: Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS)
In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both.
The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Turkey and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.
Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Thursday for a three-day visit accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.