Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan’s Mecca Joint Defence Agreement creates a NATO-style collective-defence framework with nearly 1.4 million active personnel, about 3,400 aircraft, 6,000 tanks, more than 340 naval assets and combined defence spending of roughly $124.4 billion, according to Global Firepower estimates. Yet its command arrangements and concrete military obligations remain undefined. Iran has downplayed the pact as a response to weakening faith in U.S. security guarantees, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran’s armed forces have already demonstrated their deterrent strength; Türkiye’s Hakan Fidan expects Egypt could join once remaining technical issues are resolved. | Videos

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have been at pains to say their alliance is not necessarily directed against Iran or Israel

Observers suggest the new alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan won't result in any of the countries fighting for each other. Instead it's about preventing Iran and…