Why Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey just signed a new defence pact
The agreement is likely to be closely watched in New Delhi, given Turkey's growing defence cooperation with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia's increasing role in regional security.
Pakistan, dependent on Gulf remittances and Saudi funds, is the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons. (Photo: AP)
Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a trilateral defence agreement in Jeddah on Friday, creating a new regional security partnership as the Iran conflict reshapes alliances across the Middle East, news agency Reuters reported.
The agreement comes amid heightened tensions after the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran exposed Gulf security vulnerabilities and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. While the pact further strengthens cooperation among the three major Sunni Muslim powers, there was no immediate clarity on what commitments each country would make.
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Turkey is a NATO member, while Saudi Arabia is a US ally, one of the world’s largest oil exporters and the strongest Gulf state. Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country.
The three governments have not yet disclosed the contents of the agreement, and it remains unclear whether it includes mutual defence commitments, intelligence sharing or joint military exercises.
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Erdogan, Sharif and MBS attend signing
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by army chief Asim Munir, met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah for the signing.
The agreement follows nearly a year of negotiations, which Reuters reported on in January. It also comes as the Iran war exposes security vulnerabilities among Gulf states and disrupts shipments of oil and other key goods through the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan already have an agreement under which an attack on either country is treated as an attack on both. The pact encompasses “all military means”, a Saudi official previously told Reuters.
The Pakistani military and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Saudi government also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
🛡 Defence · Jeddah Summit · Middle East
Saudi Arabia–Turkey–Pakistan: A New Security Axis?
Three major Muslim-majority powers are set to sign a landmark defence pact in Jeddah — reshaping the security map of the Middle East after nearly a year of negotiations.
The three partners
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Saudi Arabia
Gulf's biggest military spenderStrategic Red Sea & Gulf location
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Turkey
NATO memberMajor drone & defence exporter
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Pakistan
Only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority stateLong-standing ties with Riyadh
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🎯 Shared Focus of the Pact
🛡 Regional security
🤝 Defence cooperation
⛽ Strait of Hormuz
⚠️ Countering regional threats
The triggers behind the pact
Context
A region in flux — and nearly a year of back-channel negotiations
The pact has been in the works for close to a year, but its signing has been accelerated by a rapidly shifting security environment in the Middle East — from the Iran conflict reshaping Gulf dynamics to disruptions along the world's most critical energy corridor.
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Iran conflict reshaping regional security
The US-Iran-Israel confrontation has upended Gulf security calculations, pushing Riyadh, Ankara, and Islamabad to formalise their own security framework.
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Strait of Hormuz disruptions
Attacks on tankers and shipping disruptions through the strait — through which ~20% of global oil flows — have raised the urgency of coordinated maritime security.
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Rising Gulf security concerns
Escalating tensions across the Gulf have exposed gaps in regional security architecture that no single country can plug alone.
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Growing military cooperation
Existing bilateral ties between all three countries have been deepening — the trilateral pact formalises what has already been building on the ground.
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Nearly a year of negotiations
Talks have been underway for close to a year — the Jeddah summit marks the conclusion of an extended diplomatic process, not a sudden move.
Leaders at the Jeddah Summit
The Signing
Four leaders at the table — including Pakistan's military chief
The summit in Jeddah brings together the heads of government of all three countries. Notably, Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir is attending alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — signalling the military's central role in the pact from Islamabad's side.
Pakistan, dependent on Gulf remittances and Saudi funds, is the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons. (Photo: AP) 
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