Iran invited to join Makkah Pact amid tensions with Saudi Arabia, Houthis?

A defence alliance built by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey may soon have an unexpected fourth member. Iran has reportedly received an invitation to join the Makkah Defence Pact, which is a potentially striking move given Tehran's decades-old rivalry with Riyadh and its ties to Yemen's Houthi movement.

The claim was reported by Al Mayadeen on Saturday, citing Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament's Khaneh Mellat news agency. However, the invitation has not been officially confirmed by Iran’s Foreign Ministry or by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. Rahimi told Al Mayadeen that "Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement, and the matter is under review." He said countries in the region "are moving toward seeking a regional security umbrella," describing the development as "a victory for Iran, because it has been calling for this for a long time".

MAKKAH PACT FORGES NEW ALLIANCE

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is to be regarded as an attack against all three. The agreement also calls for closer defence cooperation and stronger collective deterrence. The three countries have said the arrangement is aimed at strengthening regional security rather than targeting any particular country.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has compared the mutual-defence principle with Nato's Article 5, while stressing that the agreement is not directed against any other specific state. The pact is expected to involve coordination between military and political leadership, as well as cooperation in defence industries and joint exercises.

Pakistan has described the arrangement as a defensive initiative and said it remains open to other countries joining the framework. That has fuelled speculation about a wider regional security grouping, with Egypt emerging as a possible addition. Bangladesh has also indicated that it is open to participate in an economic or defence framework involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, subject to its own strategic and economic interests.

WHAT HAS IRAN SAID ABOUT THE MECCA PACT?

Tehran has not opposed the creation of the Makkah framework.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on August 10 that Tehran had "no reason for concern" over the agreement. He said the development reflected a growing understanding among regional countries of the need for their own security arrangements.

That cautious response could make the reported invitation less surprising. However, actual Iranian membership would be a far bigger step, particularly because of Tehran's complicated relationship with Riyadh.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been regional rivals, with their competition playing out across conflicts from Yemen to the wider Gulf. In Yemen, Riyadh has backed the internationally recognised government against the Iran-aligned Houthis, who have recently stepped up attacks on Saudi targets.

The two countries restored diplomatic relations in 2023 after years of hostility, with China helping broker the rapprochement. But bilateral ties have deteriorated after Iran launched missiles and drones at Riyadh and other Gulf states in response to US-Israeli attacks.

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