Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to sign defence pact in Jeddah

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are due to sign a joint defence agreement in Jeddah on August 7, 2026, officials announced as Gulf states respond to recent attacks linked to Iran.

The pact will be signed during a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah. Delegations say the accord follows almost a year of negotiations, but they have not published a detailed breakdown of each country’s obligations.

What the agreement means

Diplomats and analysts say the deal further consolidates a bloc of large Sunni Muslim states in the region, created amid growing security concerns after clashes involving Iran that exposed vulnerabilities in Gulf defences and interrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

An existing Saudi–Pakistan security arrangement already treats an attack on one party as an attack on both and "all military means" could be used in response, a Saudi official said previously. In January, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara was committed to a broader regional security platform to promote cooperation and stability.

Observers caution that while the headline of a tripartite defence agreement signals closer coordination, the substance — forces involved, command arrangements, and triggers for collective action — remains unspecified. That lack of detail will shape how the pact affects deterrence with Iran and the broader balance of power in the Gulf.

As the agreement is formalised in Jeddah on August 7, 2026, markets and maritime routes will be watching for immediate operational steps and any follow-up memoranda that clarify force commitments or logistical cooperation between the three capitals.

Photo: press material from the event