Iran receives invitation to join Mecca agreement

Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement. Tehran is currently considering the proposal. This was announced by Mahdi Rahimi, the head of the Iranian parliamentary news agency, in an interview with Al Mayadeen TV.

According to Rahimi, the desire of the regional countries to create a single "security umbrella" is a "victory" for Iran, as Iran has long called for this.

However, there is no information yet that Iran has agreed to join the Mecca Agreement. It is also not clear which country sent the invitation and when, as well as what conditions Iran's possible membership would entail. The governments of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have also not officially confirmed the news that they invited Iran to join the agreement.

**What is the Mecca Agreement?**

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a collective defense agreement in Mecca on August 7. According to the agreement, an armed attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on the other two. Thus, the parties have assumed a mutual defense obligation.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared this mechanism in the agreement to Article 5 of the NATO treaty. However, he emphasized that the agreement is not directed against Iran or any other country. At the same time, it is said that other countries may join the agreement. Egypt has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.

On August 9, Yemeni Houthis attacked a Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Jizan, Saudi Arabia, using a drone. The attack came two days after Saudi Arabia signed a defense agreement with Turkey and Pakistan.