In a significant move towards regional security, the leaders of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan have signed a trilateral defense pact known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The agreement, which was signed on Friday, includes an Article 5-like mutual-defense clause, stating that an armed attack on one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all. The pact, reminiscent of NATO's collective defense mechanism, will establish political and military committees, a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia, and foster joint training, intelligence sharing, logistics, threat assessments, and military interoperability. The agreement is not explicitly aimed at Iran, as stated by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, but some Iranian officials have expressed concerns about the alliance. The pact is part of a broader initiative to empower regional countries to take charge of their own security, according to Fidan, who also emphasized that Turkey aims for the arrangement to expand beyond its current members. Egypt has reportedly shown interest in joining the alliance once technical issues are resolved. While practical details are still being worked out, the focus on interoperability and defense industry cooperation suggests the pact is intended to evolve beyond a simple mutual defense declaration.