Iranian officials are considering the offer as regional powers look for security arrangements beyond the traditional US-led framework.
Iran, which has been fighting the US in the Middle East since February, has reportedly been invited to join the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on August 7.
Iranian officials are considering the offer as regional powers look for security arrangements beyond the traditional US-led framework.
Mehdi Rahimi, head of Khaneh Mellat, the Iranian parliament’s official news agency, told Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen that Tehran had received an invitation and that “the matter is under consideration”, Pakistan’s SAMAA TV reported on Sunday.
Who Invited Iran?
Details of the reported invitation remain unclear. Rahimi did not say which government had sent the invitation, when it was received or what conditions Iranian membership would involve. None of the three countries that founded the pact has publicly confirmed the reported approach.
The possibility of Iran joining is significant because the alliance emerged amid a regional war in which Iranian missiles and drones struck Gulf states, while Tehran’s allies threatened Saudi energy infrastructure and shipping.
If Iran were to join, the pact could shift from an alliance widely seen as protection against Tehran into a broader regional security forum that includes Iran itself.
What Is The Mecca Pact?
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca. Its central provision says an armed attack against one member will be treated as an attack against all three.
The arrangement has been compared with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, although its public text does not specify exactly what military action members would have to take following an attack.
The pact is often described by media and analysts as an “Islamic NATO”.
Its framework includes four main areas: collective defence, defence industrial cooperation, joint military exercises and intelligence sharing.
The agreement calls for deeper cooperation in defence production, including technology transfer and joint manufacturing. It also provides for regular military exercises and mechanisms for sharing intelligence and strategic information.
However, the public text does not set out exact obligations for each member if one comes under attack. The degree, form and format of support would instead be decided through consultations.
The pact reportedly also contains an exclusionary provision under which a member that starts aggression or allows its territory to be used to attack another country would lose the pact’s protection.
Pakistan Wants Pact To Expand
Pakistan has indicated that the alliance should not remain limited to its three founding members.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the pact should not become an “exclusive club”, while Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described it as “purely defensive in nature”.
Egypt has been publicly identified as a possible future member. Syria and Bangladesh are also examining the pact.
Iran’s reported invitation would represent a much bigger geopolitical development.
Saudi-Iran Rivalry Complicates Move
Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations in 2023, but that reconciliation has faced renewed pressure amid the war.
Iran joining the pact could place two longtime rivals under the same defence framework. At the same time, it could expose the difficulties involved in expanding an alliance whose security purpose has been viewed in the context of regional threats involving Tehran.
The Mecca Pact was created as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sought closer security cooperation. An Iranian entry would significantly change the character of that arrangement and raise questions about how its collective defence commitments would operate with Tehran inside the framework.