Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan sign major defense pact amid Iran tensions

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement on Friday, August 7, 2026, in Mecca, stating that an armed attack on any one will be considered an attack on all. The pact aims to deepen security cooperation amid heightened tensions and the ongoing US-Iran war. The agreement is defensive, open to other regional countries, and does not replace existing arrangements. Leaders Mohammed bin Salman, Erdogan, and Sharif attended the summit.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement on Friday, August 7, 2026, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, according to Pakistan's foreign ministry. The agreement states that any armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all. The pact aims to deepen security cooperation amid heightened military tensions and the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. A Turkish official told Reuters that the agreement is defensive in nature, not directed against any specific actor, open to other regional countries, and does not abrogate or replace existing arrangements. The summit brought together Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Erdogan departed Ankara on Friday morning, while Sharif and Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, arrived on Thursday. The agreement goes beyond short-term considerations, according to a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense pact last year, and Turkey recently became a founding member of a Riyadh-led maritime defense coalition. The trilateral alliance combines Saudi economic power, Turkish military strength, and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, potentially reshaping regional deterrence and serving as a counterweight to Iran.