Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif signed a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on August 7, 2026. (Photo by Anadolu)

Saudi Arabia has signed a joint defense agreement with Turkey, and Pakistan with the aim of enhancing collective security and defense cooperation, amid the declining military power of the United States in the region.

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a trilateral summit at al-Safa Palace in the Saudi city of Mecca on Friday.

The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all, they said in a joint statement.

The statement said the agreement is ​aimed at strengthening their collective security and promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.

However, it did not give specifics on the commitments or obligations each had accepted under the pact.

A Turkish official stressed that the pact was not directed against any specific actor, was open to other regional countries, and did not abrogate or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral arrangements.

"The pact includes a collective defense clause. It is purely defensive in nature, pledging mutual support only ​for defense," the Turkish official said.

West Asia has been in flames for nearly three years since the October 7, 2023 Israel`s genocidal war on Gaza.

Israel has waged war in Gaza, invaded southern Lebanon and occupied territory in Syria as well as launched two aggressions against Iran jointly with the US, prompting retaliatory Iranian strikes against US and Israeli targets in the region.

Washington had reportedly withdrawn warplanes and other military equipment from regional countries including, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, after the crushing Iranian retaliatory strikes.