Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact on August 7 in Mecca, including a collective-defense clause modeled on NATO’s Article 5. The agreement was signed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. President Trump welcomed the deal, framing it as a positive sign that Middle Eastern countries can defend themselves. Saudi Arabia brings financial resources, Turkey contributes NATO’s second-largest army and a growing defense industry, and Pakistan adds nuclear capabilities. The pact, described as strictly defensive and non-sectarian, emerged amid the ongoing 2026 Iran war and rising threats to Gulf maritime shipping routes.
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