Sirens sounded near an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The pact, signed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, aims to strengthen collective security against aggression, according to reports (aljazeera.com).
The agreement, which includes joint defense industry projects and openness to other nations, was described by Turkish Vice President Fuat Özer as not targeting any specific country. Saudi officials emphasized that the new bloc does not pose a threat to any nation, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the pact a “shield of peace” (independent.ie).
Landmarks across Saudi Arabia were illuminated with the flags of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to mark the occasion, highlighting the symbolic importance of the alliance (arabnews.pk). The pact is seen as a response to regional tensions, including recent attacks on Gulf states by Iran, though no direct military action was announced (dawn.com).
The joint defense agreement reflects growing regional cooperation amid geopolitical uncertainties.
