https://arab.news/wtsnr
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye leadership signed landmark pact earlier this month in Makkah
- Trump says pact shows countries will be able to defend themselves in “a more meaningful way“
ISLAMABAD: United States (US) President Donald Trump welcomed the recent signing of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on Monday, describing it as an “important first step” toward strengthening regional security.
The leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the landmark defense pact in Makkah earlier this month, which stipulates that an attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack against all of them.
The agreement took place amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran in the Middle East. Pakistan has repeatedly clarified that the agreement is not against any country, adding that other nations could join if they were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through peaceful means.
“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement,” Trump wrote on his TruthSocial account.
The US president said the pact showed how the Middle East is “coming together” and that countries would finally be able to defend themselves in a “more meaningful way.”
“Congratulations to the Great Leadership of the three Nations mentioned,” he said. “THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP — WOW!“
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close military ties for decades and signed a separate mutual defense agreement in September 2025. Pakistan and Türkiye also have expanded military and defense-industrial cooperation in recent years.
All three countries that are part of the joint defense agreement are significant regional powers who bring differing capabilities to the arrangement. Saudi Arabia is a key regional player that enjoys unrivaled influence among Gulf states and is an economic powerhouse. Pakistan is the only Islamic nation that possesses nuclear weapons while Türkiye is a member of the NATO alliance and has a large military. It also has an increasingly sophisticated domestic defense industry.
The three nations have been involved in attempts to broker peace between the US and Iran in the Middle East. The US-Iran war, which began in February, was later paused by an April ceasefire and later followed by a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.
Iran and the US have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly revolving around southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz passageway that Tehran continues to block for commercial shipping.
Indirect contact between the two sides via Pakistan and other mediators has continued with little sign of any diplomatic breakthrough.