Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign Makkah Joint Defense Agreement

What happened

On August 7, 2026, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The mutual defense pact defines an attack on one signatory as an attack on all. Days before, Saudi Arabia announced a 14-nation maritime coalition led by the kingdom to protect shipping in the Red Sea, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh and others.

Why it matters

The pact accelerates Gulf states' efforts to diversify the region's security architecture and reduce reliance on a US defense umbrella that has proven unreliable. Pakistan's participation reinforces the notion of a Greater Middle East extending into South Asia and theoretically challenges Israel's undeclared status as the region's only nuclear power. However, Turkey and Pakistan may not share Saudi Arabia's primary focus on Iran; Turkey imports up to 13% of its gas from Iran under a 25-year agreement expiring this year, and both are unlikely to close ports to Iran. The pact's impact on ongoing conflicts remains untested.