A new security architecture in West Asia?
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye have signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca, establishing a collective security framework. This alliance aims to provide mutual defense and deterrence amid ongoing regional conflicts in West Asia.
Why it matters
The pact signals a significant shift in regional power dynamics and a potential move toward a post-American security architecture in West Asia.
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When an oil-rich Persian Gulf kingdom, a South Asian nuclear power, and a NATO member decide to ink a defence agreement , the move, in addition to pointing to evolving security alliances between countries, foretells a significance shift in West Asia’s security architecture.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca August 7, 2026, committing to “collective defence” and “collective deterrence”. The three countries have declared that they would treat an armed attack against any one of them as one against them all. The development comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is under attack from Yemen’s Houthis and West Asia remains engulfed in the ongoing war against Iran.
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