Panchkula (Haryana) [India], September 1 (ANI): Former Indian Ambassador to Iran Gaddam Dharmendra said the emergence of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement reflects a broader transformation in West Asia, including a diminishing US footprint in the region and questions over the future of Washington's security ties with Gulf countries.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, former Indian Ambassador to Iran Gaddam Dharmendra said, "There is no doubt there is a diminishing of the US footprint. They have lost a lot of their bases. How will the GCC countries look at their relations with the United States, on whom they depended for security?"
"Now the so-called Dubai model has also taken a hit. The region is no longer risk-free... So the Mecca alliance is one node of that transformation. The other will be: how will the United States rebuild its bases, if at all?" he added.
On bilateral ties and alternate maritime routes, former Indian Ambassador to Iran Gaddam Dharmendra said plurilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS were providing leaders opportunities to meet on the sidelines and discuss regional developments.
"These plurilateral settings, whether it's the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or the forthcoming BRICS meeting, are allowing all leaders to have these meetings on the sidelines, reiterate their relations, and exchange views on regional developments," Dharmendra said.
He said developments in Eurasia, particularly Ukraine, and West Asia were two theatres having a significant impact globally. "So obviously, what's happening in Eurasia, particularly Ukraine, and what's happening in West Asia, the two theatres which are now having a significant impact on the globe," the former Indian Ambassador to Iran said.
Highlighting India's ties with Russia, Dharmendra said, "PM Modi and President Putin, as everyone knows, have a very warm relationship."
He also stressed the need for India to explore the Northern Arctic Route as an alternative maritime corridor amid disruptions at key chokepoints.
"One area we'll have to look at is the opening of the Northern Arctic Route. How we can take advantage of that maritime route, given the choke points which have now come up in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz. The Northern Arctic Route, which Russia is promoting, would be a good area for us to deepen and expand our cooperation," former Indian Ambassador to Iran Gaddam Dharmendra added.
Earlier in August, US President Donald Trump welcomed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan, describing the trilateral security arrangement as a major move towards enhanced security and self-reliance in the region.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that he was "very happy" to see Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan had "recently, and finally" signed the agreement.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was formally executed in Mecca on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The pact established a structured framework for collective defence alongside expanded military and security cooperation.
Under the provisions of the accord, an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three. The terms also outline increased military coordination, joint tactical exercises, and collaboration in defence technology and military industrial capabilities.
The development unfolded against the backdrop of escalating regional friction and heightened security anxieties. Addressing international concerns over the alliance, the three nations maintained that the framework is defensive in nature and is not aimed at forming a military or sectarian bloc.
Meanwhile, India and Russia are engaged in active deliberations to deepen bilateral cooperation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), a vital Arctic maritime corridor that Moscow is seeking to develop into a major trade link between Europe and Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs stated.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that enhancing logistics linkages remains central to India's "multi-faceted cooperation" with Russia, adding that discussions on the Northern Sea Route are already underway. (ANI)
"Diminishing of US footprint": Former Indian Ambassador to Iran Gaddam Dharmendra on Mecca Joint Defence Agreement
