The Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia this week. This has been deemed the first test of the new alliance that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan initiated in August. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, as it is being called, was formed to strengthen deterrence against any acts of aggression.
After its creation, a meeting in Turkey sought to form the framework for the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The three countries then crafted the role of a permanent secretariat, which is supposed to be in Saudi Arabia. “The move gives institutional shape to an alliance built around collective deterrence and regional responsibility. A mechanism for other countries to join the group was already underway, officials said,” Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) reported on September 3.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke about the importance of the new pact when he went to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Kyrgyzstan, referring to “collective deterrence.”
Currently, people are wondering whether Pakistan or Turkey will respond to the Houthi attacks. Historically, both countries have been wary of any conflict with Iran. Unlike them, Saudi Arabia has been very critical of the Islamic Republic.
