Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Jeddah to finalize a defense agreement. Government insiders, speaking to AFP, confirmed the event was the result of ongoing talks, now expedited by rising regional tensions. The agreement will be signed during the high-level summit, where leaders will discuss deepening security cooperation. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are set to sign the joint defense agreement on Friday in Jeddah, according to Saudi military and government sources.
The move comes as the region experiences increasing instability. Especially, the intensifying conflict between the United States and Iran is a major factor. This has had a direct impact on maritime routes. These include the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. They are vital for global energy trade. Pakistan has taken a diplomatic initiative to broker peace in the region. Turkey has played a key role in trying to resolve the conflict in Gaza. It does this through mediation and dialogue. Oil continued its rise on Friday amid further concerns around the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as Iran, working with Oman, suggested banning vessels deemed hostile from the strait and heavily fining those who violated the proposed rules.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, landed in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. They are expected to stay until Saturday. Turkish President Erdoğan is set to arrive in Jeddah on Friday. The Pakistani foreign ministry announced the visit would occur from August 6 to 8. It noted that the discussions will go beyond the current crisis. They will have long-term significance for regional stability. The Saudi military says Houthi attacks left 11 civilians, including a child, injured near Yemen border.
The alliance between the three countries had been in the planning stage for months. Recent events have pushed the negotiations forward. This is to address immediate security concerns. In 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a defense pact. It drew international attention due to Pakistan's unique status. It is the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear capabilities. Houthi missile attacks kill 58 Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis killed at least 58 government troops in missile and drone attacks, a military source said, in one of the deadliest days of the country's civil war in four years.
A representative from the Saudi government stated that the timing of the agreement was influenced by the recent turmoil in the region. While the agreement is primarily a defense initiative, its effects are expected to extend into broader geopolitical relations. Analysts suggest that this pact could shift the balance of power and offer a new approach to managing regional conflicts without Western involvement. A Houthi leader said Saudi-backed troops were targeted in the attacks and that “hundreds” were either killed or injured.
Despite the current atmosphere of heightened tension, officials have emphasized that the collaboration between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan is not only about immediate security concerns. It also aims to foster long-term cooperation and stability. This trilateral approach may redefine security strategies in the region and offer a collective response to challenges posed by external powers like the U.S. and Iran. The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement was signed in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to the agreement, an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all of them. The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all. It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States, according to identical statements from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry and Turkey's presidential communications directorate.
The pact, described as "intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression," is noted to be open to any regional neighbors who might want to sign on. A Turkish official cited by Reuters stated the agreement is purely defensive in nature and does not replace or negate previous bilateral or multilateral agreements between signatories, nor is it directed at any one actor or threat. All three parties to the deal are Sunni-majority Muslim countries, and Pakistan is a nuclear power. Turkish media reports suggest it is likely to allow joint military exercises and training, technology transfers and the sharing of intelligence. A Turkish government official described the agreement as "purely defensive in nature," saying the sides have pledged mutual support only for defense. The official insisted the deal is "not against any specific actor," and is open for other regional countries to join. A Saudi official said it "does not represent an effort to establish a military axis or a sectarian bloc," and it is not linked to any nuclear ambitions or arms race. Instead, "it is focused on building sustainable capabilities," Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said Friday in a post on X.
Ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to eight on Thursday, down from a daily average of 13 last week and down from more than 100 a day prior to US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. The number fell further following the collapse of a framework agreement between the US and Iran that had provided a slight respite from hostilities. Renewed blockades have brought global shipping to a standstill. Dry bulk traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been cut roughly in half following the renewed blockade. According to shipping data provider Windward, it has been weeks since any ships have docked at Tehran's key oil export hub Kharg Island. Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed scores of Yemeni government troops in missile and drone attacks on Thursday and Friday, with France's AFP reporting 61 soldiers dead in multiple attacks. A rebel spokesman said the attacks were in response to increased Saudi Arabian military support for Yemen's internationally recognized government and its forces. The Yemeni Ministry of Defense said in a statement that a military response would come, 'at the appropriate place and time.' Thursday's attack occurred amid a series of air assaults, including one that wounded 11 civilians in the Najran region. On Friday, three more troops were killed and four more injured when Houthis targeted Yemeni soldiers in Marib province.