A defence pact signed between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is ‌technically the same as NATO’s Article 5 mutual defence agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, adding the accord was not targeting Iran.

Fidan also said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wanted to see the alliance expand, and that Egypt was a potential candidate to ​join, among others.

The regional powers signed the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” on Friday, wedding Sunni Muslim U.S. allies alarmed ​at a regional conflagration that has brought Iranian missile fire onto Gulf oil exporters.

In a ⁠joint statement, they said the accord intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates ​that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.

Speaking to the ​state-run Anadolu news agency, Fidan said the new alliance was not directed against Iran or any other country, but rather served as a general pledge to support the three allies’ security.

He added that the allies would decide through consultations what degree, form, and format of ​support they would ask for in the event of an attack, but that no country would be considered a ​threat as long as a member state is not attacked.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army, has said the pact was open ‌to ⁠expansion to other regional countries and did not seek to replace any existing alliances.

“NATO is a giant military alliance where there are 32 countries. We have started here as three countries and we have to take very humble but concrete steps,” he said, adding efforts to finalise the pact had been underway for two years and eight months.

He ​added that a committee ​of ministers similar to that ⁠within NATO would be formed as part of the alliance, as well as a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia, but that operational details would be set at ​the first committee meeting.

“Our president’s vision is that we don’t remain limited to three ​countries, that ⁠we grow and bring together all (regional) countries under this roof,” he said, adding Egypt could potentially join the pact once certain technical matters are resolved.

In recent months, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt formed a group to address regional issues, ⁠namely the ​war on Iran. Turkey has said the group – dubbed the R4 – ​aims to solidify its partnership through concrete mechanisms.

Fidan also said Turkey should be involved in an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea ​from Houthi attacks because shipping safety concerned Ankara’s interests.

Russia should explore establishing a railway route to the Indian Ocean through Afghanistan to reduce risks associated with the Bosphorus and Strait of Hormuz, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said.

Speaking in an interview with TASS, Khusnullin said alternative rail routes could pass through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan before reaching India.

“A rail link to the Indian Ocean should also be explored,” Khusnullin said. “Risks related to the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz might require alternative routes: through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Any options providing access to India are acceptable.”

The proposal comes amid concerns over the security and reliability of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the escalation of tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy route, through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passes.