Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye sign landmark defence pact amid Iran-US tensions

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye on Friday signed a trilateral defence agreement in Makkah, committing themselves to collective security and closer military cooperation in a move that could reshape the regional strategic landscape amid heightened tensions following the recent Iran-US conflict.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all, while providing for enhanced cooperation across all areas of defence, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The accord was signed by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah.

According to the Foreign Office, the agreement builds on the three countries’ longstanding historical ties, shared strategic interests and decades of defence cooperation. It said the pact reflects their commitment to strengthening collective deterrence and promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.

A shifting security landscape

The agreement comes at a time of profound geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East. The recent military confrontation between the United States and Iran, coupled with attacks on regional energy infrastructure, maritime shipping and military installations, has exposed the fragility of Gulf security and renewed concerns over the possibility of a wider regional conflict.

Unlike previous bilateral defence arrangements, the Makkah agreement institutionalises a trilateral security framework bringing together three of the Muslim world’s most influential military powers. Saudi Arabia remains the Gulf’s largest defence spender, Türkiye possesses NATO’s second-largest standing military, while Pakistan contributes extensive operational experience and is the only Muslim-majority country with a declared nuclear deterrent.

Implications for Pakistan

For Islamabad, the agreement reinforces its longstanding strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia while elevating its role in the Gulf’s evolving security architecture. Pakistan has historically maintained close defence ties with the Kingdom through military cooperation, training missions and security assistance, while simultaneously seeking stable and constructive relations with neighbouring Iran.

Beyond symbolism

Beyond its political significance, the agreement has the potential to deepen practical military cooperation through expanded intelligence sharing, joint military exercises, defence-industrial collaboration, interoperability and coordinated strategic planning. If implemented fully, it could emerge as one of the most consequential security arrangements among major Muslim-majority states in recent decades.

Much, however, will depend on the institutional mechanisms that follow. The Foreign Office statement did not outline implementation timelines, command structures or operational protocols, leaving open questions about how the collective defence clause would function in practice and under what circumstances it would be invoked.

Nevertheless, the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signals that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye are seeking to build a more structured regional security partnership at a time when the Middle East’s strategic balance is undergoing significant change in the aftermath of the Iran-US conflict.