Mecca Joint Defense Agreement

Iran can make the Strait of Hormuz more dangerous, push oil prices higher, and pressure US President Donald Trump through American gas prices. But Tehran’s ability to profit has been crippled.

Now there are questions about whether Pakistan or Turkey will respond to the Houthi attacks. Both Pakistan and Turkey have been wary of any conflict with Iran.

Kuwait invoked the UN Charter’s self-defense provision after Iranian attacks, while the Mecca alliance’s mutual-defense clause has not been publicly tested

"The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is not directed against a specific country," Fidan said, adding that the member states are considering establishing a mechanism to add new members.

The two events happening on the same day are a coincidence, because both have been in the works for some time. However, it is symbolic of how the Middle East is being reshaped.

Senior officials from the three countries will discuss joint military cooperation, defense production, and coordination mechanisms in the first talks since the Mecca Agreement was signed.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan’s new defense pact is already attracting interest from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Iran. But expansion could reshape regional security, alliances, and power balances.

Among other things, the Mecca Agreement includes a clause stipulating that any aggression against one member of the alliance will be considered aggression against all three.

The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement.

"In the past month or two, we sold seventy million barrels of oil," he said. "Now every day we sell oil to American ships on that side, as much as we produce."