Trump welcomes trilateral defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact on August 7 in Mecca that includes a collective-defense clause modeled on NATO’s Article 5. An armed attack on any one of the three signatories would trigger a coordinated military response from the other two. President Trump called the agreement a positive sign that Middle Eastern countries are “coming together and can defend themselves,” framing it as a step toward regional self-sufficiency. What the Mecca pact actually says The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. All three governments described it as strictly defensive, non-sectarian, and not aimed at any country specifically, including Iran or Israel. The pact emerged during the ongoing 2026 Iran war and rising threats to maritime security along Gulf shipping routes. The agreement also declares itself open to other regional partners. Nearly a year of negotiations preceded the signing. The groundwork was laid in September 2025 with the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Turkey’s inclusion transforms what was a bilateral ...