Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan Set to Sign Joint Defense Pact Amid Regional Tensions

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are scheduled to sign a joint defense agreement today during a summit in Jeddah, according to two regional sources with direct knowledge. The deal will be signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Details of the agreement have not been disclosed, but the move comes amid heightened tensions with Iran and ongoing regional instability.

The pact follows a previous mutual security agreement signed about a year ago between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which includes a clause that an attack on one country is considered an attack on both. That earlier agreement was seen as a signal to Israel, especially given Pakistan's status as the only nuclear-armed country in the Middle East and the timing shortly after an unusual Israeli strike in Qatar.

Erdogan and Sharif met last month in Istanbul, discussing regional and international issues. Erdogan emphasized support for efforts to reduce regional escalation through dialogue and criticized the current Israeli government for fueling conflict in the region.

Meanwhile, the conflict in Yemen has intensified, with a deadly Houthi attack killing dozens of government soldiers and injuring civilians in southern Saudi Arabia's Najran city. The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's legitimate government reported injuries among Saudi, Yemeni, Egyptian, and Pakistani nationals. The attack followed intelligence warnings from the US and other countries about potential strikes on economic and civilian infrastructure.

The fighting in Yemen centers on key provinces Marib and Hadramawt, vital for their energy resources and strategic importance. The recent escalation is one of the deadliest since an unofficial ceasefire in April 2022, which had largely frozen front lines. The US condemned the Houthi attack as terrorism against the Yemeni people. The Houthis recently declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in response to what they call a Saudi siege of Yemen, which Riyadh denies, accusing the Houthis of disrupting international shipping and oil exports.