Iran has reportedly received a formal invitation to join the newly formed Mecca Mutual Defense Pact, a security alliance initiated by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen reported the development on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian official, while Iran and the foreign ministries of the three member states had not officially confirmed the invitation as of August 24, 2026.

Mehdi Rahimi, head of Iran’s parliamentary news agency Khane Mellat, told Al Mayadeen that Tehran had received an invitation letter and was reviewing it. He described the regional movement toward a collective security arrangement as a strategic success for Iran, which he said had long called for an integrated regional security framework.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the pact on August 7. It treats an attack on one member as an attack on all three and includes plans for regular ministerial and military meetings, joint exercises and defense-industry cooperation. Turkey has said the alliance may be open to other countries in future.