Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a key defense agreement

ANKARA, Turkey \u2014 Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defense agreement on Friday that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security concerns.The agreement was signed in the Saudi holy city of Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to statements from all three countries.The so-called "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" between the three Sunni Muslim-majority states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran."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 statements read."It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States," the statements said.Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships.In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that also defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both.The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Turkey and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.The deal highlights how far relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have shifted toward alignment and partnership, after being highly strained just a few years ago, including over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul by Saudi operatives.In Iran, Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, criticized the deal on X, saying it would not bring security to Saudi Arabia."The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided 'milking' by the Americans did not bring them security. Change your policies so that you do not have to #BegForSecurity from others," he wrote.A statement from Saudi Arabia insisted that the ag