The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Tuesday that India is assessing the implications of a new defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. It said that the potential impact of the deal
on India’s national security is under review.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 against the backdrop of a widespread conflict in West Asia that involves Iran, Israel, and the United States. The pact states that an armed attack on one country be treated as an attack on all three.
Addressing a press briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “As far as this agreement is concerned, we are examining its implications both from the perspective of India’s national security and considerations of regional peace and stability”.
He asserted that India remains committed to safeguarding its national interests. “India remains fully committed to safeguarding its national interests and will take all necessary measures in this regard”.
Strategic Significance Of Pact
The three nations signed the agreement after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held discussions.
According to a joint statement by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, the agreement was based on shared strategic interests and long-standing defence cooperation.
“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,” the statement read.
Under the agreement, all aspects of defence cooperation between the three nations will be strengthened, it said.
The pact unfolded in the midst of a broader conflict in West Asia, which started on February 28 after the US and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran and killed its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Responding to the strikes, Iran targeted US-linked military facilities across the Gulf as the region plunged into renewed chaos.
What’s Pakistan Doing In It?
For Pakistan, the deal goes beyond West Asia as it comes a little over a year after ‘Operation Sindoor’ –– India’s military response to the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
On May 7, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, striking nine terror camps deep inside the territories of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), killing over a hundred terrorists. While India maintained that the strikes were “measured, precise, and non-escalatory”, Pakistan launched cross-border attacks that led to the opening of a wider conflict.
The three-day conflict –– which India’s military leadership described at the time as “no less than a war” –– ended with a ceasefire.
