Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan Form New Defense Axis, Complicating Abraham Accords Strategy

Summary

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have formed a new defense pact, the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, which aims to strengthen collective deterrence and could be seen as a challenge to the U.S.-backed Abraham Accords strategy. The agreement, which Turkish officials compare to NATO's Article 5, is intended to provide mutual defense and greater independence for the three U.S. partners, though officials deny it's a sectarian or military bloc directed against Iran.