Iran confirms receiving invitation to join 'Mecca Agreement' on joint defense

TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian lawmaker said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have jointly invited Tehran to join a mutual defense pact. Mehdi Rahimi, head of the parliament-linked "Khaneh Mellat" news agency, told Iran's IRNA news agency that Iran has received the invitation and that the matter is under review in Tehran. Rahimi noted that the agreement's provision treating an armed attack on any member as an attack on all parties resembles NATO's Article 5. Rahimi said regional countries are moving toward building a shared security framework, adding that Iran has long called for such cooperation. The agreement was signed on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Member states are working with their foreign and defense ministers and military officials on joint exercises and mechanisms for defense industry cooperation, according to the lawmaker.