Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign defence pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement. The pact, announced in the Saudi city of Mecca, states that an attack on any of the three states "shall be regarded as an attack against them all", according to Pakistan's foreign ministry. The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif.

The three countries have been looking to strengthen security ties amid regional conflict. The agreement is intended to strengthen cooperation among the three influential powers at a moment of mounting regional turmoil. According to Turkey's government, the pact does not contradict its commitments to the Nato alliance and is an additional mechanism for cooperation that supports regional security.

The agreement comes as the region faces instability, with missile attacks, maritime disruptions, and threats to energy infrastructure. The pact raises the stakes for any future attack on Saudi Arabia, potentially drawing Turkey and Pakistan into any future crisis involving the kingdom. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defence pact last year.

Brief written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana, Middle East Eye, Newsweek, CBS News, Jerusalem Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.