Trump Welcomes Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Defence Pact

A new trilateral defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan has been welcomed by United States President Donald Trump, who described it as a significant step toward regional security and self-reliance. The agreement, formalized as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, was signed in the holy city of Mecca on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, August 16, President Trump wrote that he was "very happy" to see the nations had signed the pact. He stated it "shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way," calling it a "BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP." His endorsement adds political weight to the arrangement, as all three signatories are longstanding partners of Washington.

The agreement establishes a framework for collective defence and expanded military cooperation. At its core is a provision stating that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all, a clause that has been...