New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on August 7, Friday dismissed “fake news” reports which alleged that India has requested Israel to sign a bilateral defence pact in response to the newly formed Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey security framework.
The fake reports originated from the Turkish media outlet Straturka before gaining traction across social media platforms. Quoting unnamed Pakistani sources, the report alleged that New Delhi has initiated talks with Tel Aviv for a defence pact to offset and counter the latest trilateral defence alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Fake Alert!!! 🚨🚨🚨
We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms which use AI to create fake content! pic.twitter.com/Zor218yW0J
— MEA FactCheck (@MEAFactCheck) August 7, 2026
Rebutting the claim, the MEA’s Fact Check unit published a screenshot of the article, marking it as the “fake news”. “We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms which use AI to create fake content!” the MEA Fact Check wing said in a post on the X social media platform.
The official response follows the signing of the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, a pact designed to enhance military synergy and joint security among the signatory states. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stated that the treaty aims to reinforce collective deterrence, noting that “any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all”.
The framework additionally outlines expanded defence cooperation across various domains. Commenting on the trilateral treaty on August 7, Friday, the MEA confirmed that New Delhi is observing the situation.
Addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “This is also a development that we are closely following and we shall keep you updated”. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone interaction on August 6, Thursday, deliberating on avenues to advance the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and reviewing bilateral collaboration across diverse sectors.
During Friday’s press briefing, Jaiswal clarified that the call was placed from the Israeli side. “During the conversation, it was discussed as to how we can further strengthen this bond, this friendship that we have with Israel across various sectors”, Jaiswal said, underscoring the strong bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Tel Aviv.
(With Inputs from ANI)
