Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to sign a joint defense agreement
According to reports, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will sign the agreement in Jeddah. A source told AFP that "recent regional developments have accelerated the process."
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will sign a joint defense agreement today, Friday. This was confirmed by two regional officials with direct knowledge of the matter. AFP reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are set to sign the pact at a summit in Jeddah.
Specific details regarding the agreement's clauses have not been disclosed. The three leaders are meeting against a backdrop of heightened tensions with Iran. A source told AFP that the issue had been under discussion for some time, noting that "recent regional developments have accelerated the pace of things."
Last month, Erdogan and Sharif met in Istanbul. At a joint press conference, the Turkish president stated: "We support any step aimed at reducing escalation in our region and contributing to solving problems through dialogue. We must not allow the current Israeli government, which is addicted to wars, to drown our region again in the smell of gunpowder and blood."
About a year ago, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual security agreement with Pakistan—one of the world's nine nuclear powers—stipulating that an attack on one country's territory would be considered an attack on both. That move was widely interpreted as a signal to Israel, particularly as it followed an unusual Israeli strike in Qatar and highlighted Pakistan's status as the only nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Yemen is intensifying. Following what appears to be the deadliest Houthi attack in years, 11 people were wounded overnight in the city of Najran, southern Saudi Arabia. The Riyadh-led military coalition confirmed that casualties included Saudi citizens, a woman, and a four-year-old child. The attack followed intelligence warnings from the US and other nations regarding potential strikes on energy infrastructure, ports, and airports.
Today, at least 58 government soldiers were killed in Houthi attacks on bases in the provinces of Marib and Hadhramaut. Marib remains a vital stronghold for the anti-Houthi camp, housing the country's only gas field and one of its largest oil fields. Hadhramaut, Yemen's largest province, remains a central arena for power struggles between the Saudi-backed government and UAE-supported southern separatists. This escalation marks one of the deadliest incidents since the unofficial ceasefire began in April 2022.
