Saudi Arabia's defense pact with Turkey, Pakistan complicates peace with Israel
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed a new defense pact aimed at strengthening collective deterrence against regional aggression. Analysts suggest the move reflects Saudi Arabia's growing skepticism regarding U.S. security commitments and a desire for strategic hedging.
Why it matters
The agreement signals a potential shift in Middle Eastern security alliances and complicates ongoing efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The new defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, though far from ideal for Israel, “doesn't shut the door completely on normalization” between Riyadh and Jerusalem, said Dr. Yoel Guzansky, head of the Gulf Research Field at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.The three Sunni-majority countries signed the defense agreement on Friday, after months of attacks from Iran and its proxies on Gulf States.Though unclear how the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement's actions will materialize, the member states said in a joint statement that it would strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and it stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.Saudi Arabia, the country hit the hardest of all three, likely joined the pact to have more leverage and options as trust in Washington is waning in the region,…
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in