Pakistan

The new crescent: Mecca pact gives rise to a Saudi-led Sunni bloc, posing new challenges for Israel

BEHIND THE LINES: Anti-Israel statements of the emergent alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are not just rhetoric. Rather, they form an integral element in its strategy.

TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca last Friday.
Ireland's new government jet, which lacks the Elbit-manufactured FalconEye technology that allows it to land in fog.

My Word: It’s a funny old world - opinion

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan forge new alliance as Middle East order shifts - analysis

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is received by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ahead of the expected signing of a defence deal between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan to build joint political and military pact mechanisms


Saudi Arabia bets on defensive alliances to deter slide into war - analysis

Riyadh faces a dilemma: how to deter attacks and protect the ambitious economic vision it is pursuing without becoming entangled in a broader conflict in the region.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is received by Deputy Governor of Mecca region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, August 6, 2026.

Iran delays Pakistan visit as Islamabad says US, Tehran near 'some sort' of deal - report

Pakistan's Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi visited Tehran on Tuesday, reportedly having met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the trip.

The national flags of Pakistan and Iran flutter outside the President House in Islamabad on June 22, 2026 on the eve of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian's visit to Pakistan amid the US-Iran peace talks; Illustrative.

Saudi Arabia’s new defense pact reflects anxiety, not strength - opinion

Rather than projecting confidence, the deal with Pakistan and Turkey reflects Saudi Arabia’s search for additional security guarantees in the face of Iran’s growing regional influence.

TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, next to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, on August 7, 2026.

US, Iran nearing 'some sort of an arrangement', Pakistan's defense minister says - report

The report follows comments by US President Donald Trump on Sunday demanding compensation from Tehran for American citizens killed or injured in IRGC-orchestrated attacks.

US Vice President JD Vance walks with Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan defense agreement exposes limits of US military reliance- interview

Cyril Widdershoven, senior advisor at Blue Water Strategy, said that “Gulf leadership increasingly doubts that US power is able actually to prevent missile attacks and drone warfare."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Houthi missile strike on ship in Bab el-Mandeb kills four Pakistanis, one Indonesian - report

Later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Tuesday afternoon stated that a cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Al Mokha, Yemen.

A photo taken from the Yemeni coast southwest of the city of Taiz, shows a vessel anchored at Bab al-Mandab Strait, in the Red Sea, on July 24, 2026.

Saudi Arabia's new alliance did nothing when a Houthi drone hit Jizan - analysis

Saudi Arabia’s new defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan promises collective deterrence, but its first test showed the limits of what that commitment may actually mean.

Billboards display the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in Karachi, Pakistan, August 9, 2026.

'A paper tiger': Iran sees Saudi, Turkey, Pakistan defense pact as a major win, expert tells 'Post'

“Saudi Arabia has not taken any action against any of the aggressors attacking its territory, meaning Iran, the Houthis and the militias in Iraq. They have not done anything about it.”

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looks on after they signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Iran says Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi defense pact is no threat, reflects a 'shift in approach'

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei said the pact showed a shift in regional countries' approach to security, with greater reliance on their own capabilities rather than outside powers.

IRAN'S FOREIGN Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei attends an interview, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2026.

Pakistan says defense pact with Turkey, Saudi Arabia is 'purely defensive,' open to other nations

He said the Mecca Agreement is the result of several years of discussions and mutual consultations, aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation to address various security challenges, promote peace.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looks on after they signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.