New alliances replace old certainties
Binyamin Netanyahu has vowed to ‘change the face of the Middle East'. But the war with Iran has created a situation that no single power can control. - 2026/09 / article
The Gulf states have formed new alliances in place of their previous certainties. US protection, while essential, has also posed dangers. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a defense pact in Mecca that covers cooperation, intelligence sharing, military exercises, and coordination of political and security officials. This alliance is defensive in nature and aims to strengthen ties amid power shifts caused by the US and Israel's war against Iran and Tel Aviv's expansionist ambitions.
The agreement signals the Middle East's entry into a new historical phase, shaped by political and strategic upheavals since 2023. Iran's expansionist policy, following the Arab Spring, elevated it to the region's dominant power. Its intervention in Syria, Iraq's fall, Lebanon's Hizbullah, and Houthi support in Yemen have solidified Iran's position. The 2015 nuclear deal further entrenched Iran's preeminence.
Written by urgent.news from Le Monde diplomatique (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
