Claim: India has approached Israel to sign a defence pact in response to the newly signed Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey security agreement.
Verdict: FALSE / FAKE NEWS
What is the claim?
A report attributed to Turkish media outlet Straturka claimed that New Delhi had approached Israel to establish a defence agreement following the signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The claim subsequently circulated on social media, with some posts suggesting that India was preparing a strategic military response to the new trilateral arrangement.
What did the MEA say?
The MEA’s Fact Check unit rejected the report and marked it as “fake news.” The ministry also cautioned users against malicious social-media posts that use AI-generated or manipulated content to spread false information. Therefore, there is no official confirmation that India has requested Israel to enter into a new defence pact specifically to counter the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey agreement.
What about the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey agreement?
The underlying agreement is real. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026. The agreement contains a collective-defence provision under which an armed attack against one of the three countries is to be regarded as an attack against all three. Turkey has subsequently clarified that the agreement is not directed against Iran or any other specific country. India’s response has been more cautious. The MEA said New Delhi was closely following the development and assessing its implications, rather than announcing a new defence alliance with Israel.
What about the Modi-Netanyahu conversation?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did speak by telephone around the same time. However, according to the MEA briefing cited in the report, the conversation concerned strengthening the existing India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and cooperation across various sectors. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also clarified that the call was initiated from the Israeli side. There is therefore no evidence in the material cited that the conversation resulted in, or was intended to initiate, a new defence pact specifically aimed at Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Why did the claim spread?
The timing appears to have helped the claim gain traction. The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey defence agreement was signed amid heightened regional tensions, while the Modi-Netanyahu phone call took place at roughly the same time. The combination of these two genuine developments was used to create a false narrative of an India-Israel counter-alliance. The MEA specifically warned that AI-generated and manipulated content is being used to create misleading social-media posts.
Conclusion By Factcheck India
The claim that India approached Israel to sign a defence pact to counter the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey agreement is false. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is genuine, and India is monitoring its implications. Modi and Netanyahu also held a phone conversation to discuss strengthening bilateral ties. However, there is no evidence that India sought a new defence pact with Israel in response to the trilateral agreement, and the MEA has explicitly dismissed the report as fake. A report claiming that India had initiated talks with Israel for a new defence pact to counter the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey agreement is fake, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).