Egypt Likely to Join New Middle East Defense Pact with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan

Egypt is poised to join a new defense alliance initially formed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The agreement, signed last Friday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is based on a principle similar to NATO's Article 5, where an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The pact includes establishing a ministerial committee and a general secretariat headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

Fidan emphasized that the alliance is not aimed against Iran, stating, "Iran is not the target of the defense pact. No one is targeted as long as they do not attack member states." However, he noted that securing maritime routes in the Red Sea is a vital interest for the member countries, with Turkey seeking active involvement in regional security efforts. The alliance is expected to expand beyond the founding three countries, with Egypt seen as a central candidate to join after resolving certain technical issues.

The pact also focuses on cooperation in defense industries and military technology, joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and technology transfer. This development comes amid increasing regional instability, concerns over Iran and its proxies, and growing criticism within the Muslim world of Israel's policies. Pakistan's Defense Minister has called for Islamic countries to unite against what he described as a "common threat posed by Israel." Meanwhile, ongoing conflicts with the Houthi rebels in Yemen have led to threats against Saudi Arabia and attempts to challenge the new alliance's ability to ensure regional security.