Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca on Friday, bringing together three Sunni Muslim countries allied with the United States amid escalating security challenges in the Middle East.

The agreement comes as regional tensions continue to rise following the February 28 U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Since then, Iran and allied groups have launched attacks against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states and disrupted energy shipments, intensifying instability across the region.

According to a joint statement, the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression. It states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.

The statement did not provide details on the specific military commitments or obligations undertaken by each country. It said the agreement aims to enhance collective security and promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.

A Turkish official described the pact as purely defensive, saying it is not directed against any particular country, remains open to other regional states, and does not replace or override existing bilateral or multilateral defense arrangements.

The three countries are said to share concerns over the increasingly assertive military posture of both Israel and Iran, as regional instability deepens despite efforts by the United States to contain the crisis.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says the situation in Afghanistan remains a major focus for its member states, with regional security developments in the country continuing to be closely monitored.

Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the CSTO, Vladimir Vasilyev, said the organization’s primary concern is the security situation along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border.

Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements, including the equipment and resources needed to support the initiative.

He did not provide further details on the timeline for the program’s implementation or the scale of assistance to be provided, but stressed that Afghanistan remains a key topic in the organization’s ongoing regional security consultations.

The CSTO, a Russia-led regional security alliance, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of strengthening border security in Central Asia amid concerns over regional stability.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), however, has consistently maintained that it will not allow any individual or group to use Afghan territory to threaten or carry out activities against neighbouring countries.