The latest:
An armed attack on any one of Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Pakistan will be treated as an attack on all three, under a pact signed in Mecca on Friday, according to a Pakistani foreign ministry statement reported by the Financial Times.
Details:
- The signatories:: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed. Field Marshal Asim Munir attended.
- The stated aim:: Pakistan’s ministry said the deal strengthens collective deterrence and promotes “peace, security and stability in the region and beyond”.
- Turkey’s framing:: A Turkish official told the FT the pact was “purely defensive”, not aimed at a specific actor, and open to other regional states later.
- The precedent:: Two people briefed said it mirrors the September Saudi-Pakistani pact, under which Islamabad sent jets and an HQ-9 air-defence system in April.
- The trigger:: Saudi Arabia’s military said Houthi attacks on Najran wounded 11 civilians Thursday, including a four-year-old, as Riyadh strikes Yemen.
Background:
The Houthis last month broke a four-year truce with Riyadh, firing missiles and drones, declaring a blockade of Saudi ports and threatening the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to the FT.
Between the lines:
Ali Shihabi, a Saudi commentator close to the royal court, assessed the alliance reflects weakened American deterrence and a shift toward managing Iran regionally. One person briefed on the deal predicted it precedes expanded Saudi action against the Houthis, with Turkish naval participation. Burcu Ozcelik of RUSI said it also fits Washington’s preference for burden-sharing.
What’s next
Watch whether Turkish or Pakistani forces join operations against the Houthis, whether other states accede to the pact, and Al Arabiya’s reported warnings of planned Iranian-backed attacks on the kingdom.
