When President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on August 17 to celebrate the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, his tone was effusive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way. Congratulations to the Great Leadership of the three Nations mentioned. THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP \u2014 WOW!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Islamabad, that endorsement\u2014however hyperbolic\u2014carries practical value. It signals to friends and adversaries alike that Pakistan retains standing in Washington, even as America\u2019s regional role diminishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the significance of Trump\u2019s post lies less in its rhetoric than in what it acknowledges: the emergence of a regional security architecture increasingly shaped by actors other than Washington. The August 7 signing reflects a growing recognition across the Middle East that the old order, anchored in the American role, will have to be redefined and complemented by emerging regional frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded with the expected diplomatic courtesies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deeply appreciate President Donald Trump\u2019s kind words of support on the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. Together with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye, Pakistan will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defence of our own countries as well as the entire region\u2026Durable peace is the most essential prerequisite for a bright and prosperous future for our peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Pakistan\u2019s cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is long-standing, the region\u2019s recent traumatic experience reinforced the strategic logic behind the accord. Regional states have found themselves caught in the crosshairs of the US-Iran war, confronted by Israeli expansionism and demonstrated willingness to use force unilaterally, and by America\u2019s inability or unwillingness to restrain its closest ally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pact is designed to restore regional balance and stability. Signed in Makkah by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister Sharif, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it establishes that an armed attack on any of the three will be considered an attack on all. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that it remains open to any regional country willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences peacefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each of the three signatories brings something different to the table. Saudi Arabia brings financial resources and political weight; Turkey contributes large armed forces and a developed defence industry; and Pakistan offers a substantial, battle-tested army and nuclear capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In terms of the pact\u2019s regional impact, the Israeli dimension is where analysis begins. Although the Israeli government did not officially comment on the pact, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli denounced it as \u201ca very dangerous and very troubling development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notably, this builds on the ongoing Israeli campaign to frame Turkey as the \u201cnew Iran.\u201d This was starkly illustrated in mid-August, when Israeli airstrikes targeted Abu al-Duhur Airbase in northwestern Syria, near the Turkish border\u2014an act that heightened Turkish sensitivities and drew criticism over its violations of the Syrian sovereignty. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack publicly condemned the strikes as \u201can unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such actions reveal how Israel views the emerging strategic environment. In February 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled his own vision, the \u201cAxis of Nations,\u201d envisioning a hexagon of alliances incorporating India, Arab states, African nations, Greece, and Cyprus. Netanyahu framed this as necessary to oppose both \u201cthe radical Shiite axis\u201d and \u201cthe emerging radical Sunni axis,\u201d positioning Israel as standing \u201con the front line of civilization against extremist Islam.\u201d The former prime minister and the opposition leader Naftali Bennett warned against Turkey seeking a \u201chostile axis\u201d with Pakistan\u2019s nuclear capabilities \u201cto surround Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is particularly concerning from Islamabad\u2019s perspective is the growing Israeli-Indian strategic convergence, including advanced technology cooperation and intelligence-sharing. Netanyahu\u2019s proposed hexagon explicitly included India, recognizing New Delhi as a potential partner in containing the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi alignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Islamabad has publicly accused New Delhi of fomenting terrorist separatism in the Balochistan region of Pakistan. In 2025, the Washington-based The Middle East Media Research Institute, founded by former Israeli intelligence officer Yigal Carmon, launched the Balochistan Studies Project, which has promoted the idea of an independent Balochistan carved out of Pakistan and Iran. From Islamabad\u2019s perspective, this development fits into a broader pattern of Israeli-Indian convergence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Makkah Pact punctures this picture. By embedding Pakistan in a regional defence framework with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Islamabad gains strategic depth beyond its traditional alliance with China. It could also create friction for India\u2019s Gulf relationships. Saudi Arabia is a major economic partner for India\u2014its fourth-largest trading partner and its largest supplier of crude oil, accounting for about 18 percent of India\u2019s imports. Deeper Saudi-Pakistan defence ties may constrain New Delhi\u2019s ability to fully align with Israeli regional ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Iranian dimension equally requires careful distinction. Contrary to some hasty conclusions, the accord is not structured as an anti-Iran \u201cSunni bloc.\u201d None of the three parties seeks direct confrontation with Tehran. Pakistan has deep historical connections to Iran and leads the mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran. Saudi Arabia maintains engagement channels with Iran; Turkey has substantial economic ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The relevant threat is from Iranian proxies\u2014Yemeni Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities and disruptions around the Bab al-Mandeb, and the participation of Iraqi militias in regional conflicts. The accord provides a deterrent framework for such actions, but it is reactive, not aggressive. If Houthi forces and Iraqi militias show restraint, the three are unlikely to pursue them proactively. The appetite for Yemen entanglement is minimal. Direct military action against Iran itself appears inconceivable under current circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s endorsement of the tripartite deal is notable here precisely because it does not shape the Accord\u2019s orientation. Despite Trump\u2019s hostility toward Tehran, the signatories have carefully avoided framing the pact as an instrument against Iran. Sharif\u2019s statement\u2014with its generic references to \u201cconstructive role\u201d and \u201cdurable peace\u201d\u2014offers no commitment to any anti-Iranian agenda, even as it benefits from American rhetorical support. This is consistent with Pakistan\u2019s long-standing hedging strategy. Islamabad maintains relationships across regional divides: with Iran, the United States, China, and now a formal defence framework with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What has emerged in Makkah is not a Middle Eastern NATO. The Accord lacks the institutional heft, unified command structures, and automaticity of Article V-style commitments. It is better understood as a flexible crisis management platform whose founding text explicitly leaves the door open for other regional countries to accede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Pakistan, the stakes are clear. The Accord offers strategic depth, diplomatic flexibility, and a hedge against Indian-Israeli convergence. But its long-term value depends on keeping the framework open\u2014rather than hardening into a rigid bloc that reproduces the divisions in the Middle East it was designed to overcome. Trump\u2019s endorsement is welcome but incidental. The real question for Islamabad is whether the parties to the Accord can translate its inclusive promise into reality, delivering what Prime Minister Sharif called \u201cdurable peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on August 17 to celebrate the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, his tone was effusive: Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[{"account":"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440","service":"facebook","timestamp":1787401407,"status":"success"}],"rop_publish_now_status":"done","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27873"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27875,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27873\/revisions\/27875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}