Mecca Joint Defense Agreement

Turkey’s rise increases risk of confrontation with Israel, former national security chief warns

Meir Ben-Shabbat to Maariv: Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa 'came from the heart of jihadist darkness, do not assume he abandoned his path' • Erdogan's ambitions 'increase the potential for confrontation'

|ByMAARIV
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of male and female dormitories at Bogazici University, in Istanbul, Turkey, February 13, 2026.
Billboards display the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in Karachi, Pakistan, August 9, 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.

|ByZVIKA KLEIN
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.

'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.”

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

|ByREUTERS

Saudi Arabia's new agreement with Turkey, Pakistan puts stability on dangerous ground - editorial

Riyadh must decide whether its new alliances will strengthen regional stability or give greater influence to governments seeking to turn Israel into the common enemy.

AUGUST 10, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by their ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Iran releases video claiming Khamenei unharmed, shares new demands for re-opening Strait of Hormuz

Netanyahu reportedly agrees to Trump's Gaza plan • Houthis continue strikes in Yemen • Iran says 'no reason' to fear new Mecca defense pact

AUGUST 10, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israeli soldiers carry out a foot patrol through the market, in the Old City of Nablus, in the West Bank on August 9, 2026.

India-Israel ties will bloom amid Middle East's new Mecca Pact - analysis

Ties with Greece and Cyprus are also likely to benefit from the agreement, with Athens and Nicosia as concerned about an expanded Turkish footprint in the eastern Mediterranean as Jerusalem is.

AUGUST 9, 2026ByHERB KEINON
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in Jerusalem, February 26, 2026.

Turkey, Saudi, Pakistan defense pact complicates Israel normalization hopes, expert tells 'Post'

Saudi Arabia, the hardest-hit of all three countries, likely joined the pact so it would have more leverage and options as trust in Washington is waning in the region, Guzansky said.

AUGUST 9, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
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.