Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan sign defense pact amid regional war
Riyadh is looking to strengthen its security ties against the backdrop of war between the U.S. and Iran, which has drawn in surrounding nations and disrupted shipping.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed a mutual defense agreement, known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The pact, which was signed during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, states that an armed attack on any of the three nations will be considered an attack against them all.
The agreement comes amid a war between the US and Iran, which has drawn in surrounding nations and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, according to the Japan Times and Free Malaysia Today. The war has also emboldened Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, both of which have attacked Saudi Arabia.
Turkey has stated that the new defense pact aligns with its commitments to the Nato alliance and is not aimed at any particular country, according to Middle East Eye. The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence, Pakistan's foreign ministry said.
Brief written by urgent.news from Japan Times, Live Mint, Free Malaysia Today, Middle East Eye, Al-Monitor — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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