Panchkula, Sept. 1 -- 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 transfor...