US President Donald Trump has welcomed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. He described the pact—signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan—as a significant step toward strengthening regional security and enhancing the nations’ own defense capabilities, according to the Saudi Gazette.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday (August 16), Trump expressed his delight that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan had recently—and finally—signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.
He further remarked that this demonstrates how the Middle East is uniting and how these nations will ultimately be able to defend themselves more effectively.
Congratulating the leadership of the three countries, Trump hailed the agreement as a “big, bold, and important first step—Wow!”
What does the agreement entail?
On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement at the Al-Safa Palace in Mecca. This established a trilateral framework for collective defense and broader security and military cooperation among the three nations.
The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The core element of the agreement is a mutual defense commitment; under its terms, an armed attack on any one of the three nations will be treated as an attack on all three.
Additionally, the pact aims to further strengthen defense cooperation and collective deterrence capabilities, building upon the long-standing bilateral military and security ties shared by the three countries.
However, Saudi Arabia has emphasized that the agreement is defensive in nature. It is not an initiative to form a military alliance or axis, nor is it an attempt to create a sectarian or religious coalition.
