With new agreement, Islamabad is upping the ante

The "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement" is a new pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, marking a shift towards greater self-reliance and away from the US security umbrella. The agreement borrows elements of Article 5 from the NATO charter, mandating collective security. The US has made clear its limits on security guarantees to allies, while the three signatories have come together in this new security landscape.

The allies' strengths include Pakistan's powerful conventional military and nuclear arsenal, Saudi Arabia's political and financial clout, and Turkey's military capabilities and defense industry. The agreement's unstated targets are Iran and Israel, both powerful West Asian powers. The Mecca Agreement's implications for NATO and its 32 member countries remain unclear.