A new military bloc took shape in the Middle East on Friday, when Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defense agreement in Mecca. Ukraine’s UNIAN agency wrote on Tuesday that the alliance may become one of the most important structures in the Muslim world.
The ceremony in one of Islam’s holiest cities immediately drew international attention. Middle East Monitor described the pact as a landmark defense agreement, noting that its key clause closely follows NATO’s collective defense rule: an armed assault on any of the three states will be treated by the others as an attack on all.
UNIAN’s report on Tuesday stressed the scale of the new alignment. The three countries together can call on roughly 6,000 tanks, 21 submarines, 38 frigates, 15 corvettes, about 1,000 combat aircraft and approximately 1.4 million soldiers. Those numbers help explain why the Ukrainian agency described the pact as potentially one of the most significant blocs in the Muslim world.
Three distinct sources of military power
Each signatory adds a different strategic asset. Turkey, a NATO member, contributes the second-largest army in the alliance. Pakistan’s status as a nuclear-armed state gives the pact a deterrent dimension. Saudi Arabia, one of the most influential Gulf nations, provides both political weight and a leading position among world oil exporters.
Middle East Monitor underlined that combination when it analyzed the agreement. The outlet pointed to Turkey’s NATO role, Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading oil exporter and one of the most powerful Gulf states.
The signing venue also carried meaning. Mecca is one of the most important holy cities in Islam, and the choice of location underscored the Islamic character of this agreement.
Iran’s pre-signing proposal
Iran reacted even before the pact was finalized. Iranian Defense Minister Seyed Majid Ibn Reza proposed, two days ahead of the signing, a broader military alliance that would include Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt.
Riyadh and Tehran have been rivals for years, so the Iranian plan would have created a distinctly different security order. The Mecca agreement, by contrast, binds only the three signatories and gives Iran no formal role.
Source: polsatnews.pl, Photo: polsatnews.pl
