Washington (GNP): US President Donald Trump has welcomed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, describing it as a big, bold and important first step toward greater regional cooperation.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was pleased that the three countries had signed the agreement, noting that it reflected the Middle East’s movement toward greater regional coordination and a stronger collective ability to defend itself. His remarks placed the agreement within a broader narrative of shifting regional dynamics, framing it as a positive development for coordination among Middle Eastern and South Asian states.
The pact, signed on August 7, establishes a framework for collective defence among the three countries, under which an attack against any one signatory would be considered an attack against all. Beyond this core provision, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are also set to establish political and military coordination mechanisms, conduct joint military exercises, and expand cooperation in defence production and technology.
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Pakistan’s leadership has repeatedly stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature and is not directed against any particular country. In line with this framing, the pact has also been described as an open arrangement that could eventually accommodate other regional states seeking to join.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Egypt could join the agreement at a later stage, though Cairo has yet to officially comment on the proposal. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has similarly expressed hope that additional countries will eventually become part of the pact, reinforcing the sense that the agreement is intended to grow beyond its founding members.
The response from the wider region has been largely positive. Kuwait, Bahrain and Somalia have welcomed the agreement, while Iran has also responded favourably, stating that it supports regional security mechanisms built on cooperation among regional countries. Taken together, these reactions suggest the pact has, at least initially, been received as a stabilising development rather than a source of regional tension.
