Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan on Friday signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, stipulating that an armed attack on any one of them would be considered an attack on all three. This move aims to counter Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz and its proxy attacks against Saudi Arabia. Previously, U.S. officials had suggested that Iran and Oman might reach an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied this, insisting that the strait's reopening depends on the U.S. accepting Iran's conditions. The agreement links Saudi Arabia with NATO's second-largest military power (Turkey) and nuclear-armed Pakistan. Iran is expected to test the agreement through its proxies. Egypt also has close ties with the group and may join the agreement.