Is Iran joining a "regional NATO"? Tehran is already considering the offer
Following Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, Iran may also join the new defense alliance. A senior official in Tehran claims the invitation has already been received—and if approved, the nature of the alliance could change completely.
Iran has been invited to join the "Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense," the new security alliance established by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan earlier this month, a senior Iranian official claimed last night in a conversation with the "Al-Mayadeen" channel. As of now, the invitation has not been officially confirmed by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by any of the three countries party to the agreement.
Mahdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament's "Khaneh Mellat" news agency, told the channel that "Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement and the matter is under consideration." Rahimi added that the countries of the region are "moving towards seeking a regional security umbrella," and claimed that this is a "victory for Iran, because it has been calling for this for a long time."
The Mecca Agreement was signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The agreement establishes a principle of mutual defense, according to which an attack on one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all of them. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared the mechanism to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, but emphasized that the agreement is not directed against Iran or any specific country.
Member states have already begun to formulate political and military coordination mechanisms, including meetings between foreign and defense ministers and army commanders, joint exercises, and cooperation in defense industries. Turkey has clarified that the alliance may expand to include additional countries. Egypt has been publicly mentioned as a possible candidate for accession.
Iran has so far reacted with cautious optimism to the agreement. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on August 10 that Tehran has "no reason for concern" regarding the establishment of the alliance. According to him, the move reflects a growing recognition by the countries of the region of the need to build regional security mechanisms.
If the claim regarding the invitation is officially confirmed, Iran's accession would significantly change the nature of the alliance, which was established by three countries with close security ties to the West, and would turn it into a much broader regional framework.
