Pakistan defense chief calls Israel ‘common threat’ after new Saudi-Turkey defense pact

Pakistan’s defense minister on Friday called for Muslim countries to unite against what he described as a common threat from Israel, shortly after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a trilateral defense agreement.

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif declared, "The Islamic world must unite to confront the common threat posed by Israel."

"Israel poses a threat to all of us. Islamic countries must adopt a coordinated approach to address this threat."

Asif also described Israel as an “illegitimate state,” referring to the 1917 British Balfour Declaration, which expressed support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in the land of Israel.

“Israel is a product of the Balfour Declaration, which was established in the 1940s as an illegitimate state, and it could pose a direct threat to any of the countries in the region,” the Pakistani defense minister said.

Asif’s comments came after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The pact was announced following a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement reportedly stipulates that an attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all three.

The pact follows a September 2025 defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, signed shortly after Israel struck Hamas headquarters in the Qatari capital Doha.

“This agreement ... aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” Pakistan and Saudi Arabia said in a joint statement at the time.

The Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar prompted debate over whether the Saudi-Pakistani agreement was connected to the attack. Israel has not threatened Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, and neither country has diplomatic relations with Israel.

The three countries bring different military and strategic capabilities to the new defense arrangement. Saudi Arabia has substantial financial resources, Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons, and Turkey is a NATO member with one of the region’s largest militaries.

Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the country’s National Security Commission, criticized the defense agreement.

"The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan does not bring them security, just as years of unilateral milking of the Americans did not bring them security," Rezaei wrote on 𝕏.

Asif has previously made strongly anti-Israel statements. In an April post that he later deleted, he described Israel as “evil and a curse for humanity.”

“Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon,” Asif said, referring to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell,” the Pakistani defense minister added.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter sharply criticized Asif’s remarks in a post on 𝕏, directly addressing the Pakistani defense minister.

“The Ayatollahs chanted “Death to Israel” – and now a so-called “mediator” is echoing the same language. You are not a mediator Mr. Asif, you are the problem. Even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay. That’s not for negotiation,” Leiter wrote.

Pakistan became independent in 1947 following the partition of British India, the year before Israel declared independence. The country has a population of roughly 260 million and has only a very small Jewish population.

Pakistan does not recognize Israel and does not maintain diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. Israeli passport holders are barred from entering Pakistan, while Pakistani passports state that they are not valid for travel to Israel.