US President Donald Trump has welcomed the recent defence agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, describing it as a significant development for regional security. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said he was very happy that the three countries had finally signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Trump called the deal a “BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP” and noted that it shows how the Middle East is coming together. He added that countries will now be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif quickly responded, saying he deeply appreciated Trump’s kind words of support. He stated that together with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye, Pakistan will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defence of their own countries as well as the wider region.
In an apparent reference to last year’s brief military tensions with India, Shehbaz also praised Trump for his courageous and decisive leadership that helped avert a nuclear catastrophe in South Asia and saved millions of lives. He stressed that durable peace remains the most essential requirement for a bright and prosperous future for the people of the region.
The three-way agreement was signed on August 7 in Makkah. It aims to strengthen collective deterrence and treats an attack against one member as an attack against all. The pact comes amid ongoing regional instability linked to the US-Iran conflict and related violence, including Houthi attacks.
Turkiye’s defence ministry confirmed that the three nations will establish political and military mechanisms under the agreement and expand cooperation in the defence industry. Pakistani leaders have repeatedly described the arrangement as defensive in nature and open to other regional countries that share its core principles.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkiye expects Egypt to join in the next stage, with only a few technical issues remaining. Egypt has not yet commented. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later expressed hope that the alliance will grow beyond the three founding members and one day bring more countries of the region under the same umbrella.
Kuwait, Bahrain and Somalia have welcomed the agreement, while Iran offered a relatively positive response, emphasising cooperation-based security mechanisms among regional states.
