Pakistan

The new emergence of an alliance between what may be termed “middle powers” in the region illustrates how countries want to work closely together amid growing uncertainty over the future of the world

The three countries signed the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" on August 7, uniting Sunni-Muslim US allies concerned about a regional conflagration that has brought Iranian missile fire to the Gulf.

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

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

“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.”