"Muslim NATO" does not trust the Americans

In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest site for Muslims, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed an agreement on mutual defense. It stipulates that "an attack against any of them shall be considered an attack against all."

Immediately after the signing, speculation began that this was the germ of the creation of a kind of "Muslim NATO". Over time, this is not ruled out, but now the efforts of three powerful actors to respond to the increased security risks in the Middle East region caused by the United States' war against Iran are at the forefront. Their alliance represents a significant geopolitical, military and security shift.

Turkey joins it as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with its second strongest army of 480,000 heads. It provides sophisticated defense production, including the production of advanced drones. Pakistan has an army with extensive combat experience, and especially a nuclear arsenal. Saudi Arabia can "strengthen" cooperation with huge financial resources. Their joint diplomatic weight is also not negligible.

All three signatories to the agreement are confronted with the fact that the United States is stuck in a war with Iran. At the same time, they are not fully able to defend their allies in the Persian Gulf, who bear the brunt of Iran's retaliation, while their ability to export oil and gas through the blocked Strait of Hormuz is virtually suspended.

Saudi Arabia is also feeling this strongly. Gone are the days when Saudi Arabia's military, political, and economic relations with the United States reached the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

During the Iran war, Turkey was concerned about the efforts of the US and Israel to involve Kurdish Islamic militants in the fight against the Iranian regime. That plan has been shelved, but both Turkey and Pakistan are still concerned about security instability spilling over their borders with Iran.

Islamabad also has its own security problems: it has been in a border conflict with Afghanistan since February and there are still strong tensions in relations with India, in May 2025 it even got into a brief armed conflict with it.

And Saudi Arabia and Turkey, in particular, are also suspicious of Israeli policy, which, according to them, is starting to bet more on military power than on diplomacy. In addition, it also comes into conflict with the US in Lebanon or Gaza.

It is significant in this context that the announced agreement on civil nuclear cooperation between the US and Saudi Arabia remains on ice. It was torpedoed by US President Donald Trump's insistence that Riyadh must establish diplomatic relations with Israel because of this.

But the most important message of the new agreement is heading to Tehran. It is intended to serve as a warning that any Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia could bring a Turkish and Pakistani military response. And this certainly cannot be overlooked by the Iranian regime.

Miloš Balabán, Právo Daily