Saudi Arabia's new agreement with Turkey, Pakistan puts stability on dangerous hedge – editorial

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca, establishing a collective defense commitment similar to NATO's Article 5. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that an attack on one country would be considered an attack on all three, and the alliance would create a ministerial committee and general secretariat in Saudi Arabia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the agreement's basis in "the principle of collective deterrence" to expand security and counterterrorism cooperation.

A day after the agreement, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif called for “a united military front” against Israel, describing it as a “threat to the entire Muslim world.”

Experts like Dr. Yoel Guzansky and Jacob Nagel view the pact as a Saudi "hedging" strategy, driven by a search for security and leverage amid perceived vulnerabilities and declining confidence in American guarantees. While the agreement complicates potential Saudi-Israel normalization due to anti-Israel rhetoric from member states, Israel is urged to keep the door open for Riyadh to join an American-led regional security architecture, which could offer a stronger front against Iran and enhance regional stability.