![Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (5th L), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (5th R) pose for a family photo after signing a trilateral joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on August 7, 2026. [TUR Presidency /Murat Cetinmuhurdar - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AA-20260807-42161814-42161811-TURKIYE_SAUDI_ARABIA_AND_PAKISTAN_SIGN_TRILATERAL_JOINT_DEFENSE_AGREEMENT-1-1.jpg)
On Wednesday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the Makkah alliance its clearest public definition yet. Opening the new session of the Shura Council, he said the alliance was created to strengthen regional stability and shield the region from the repercussions of tensions and conflicts. In the same address he said the kingdom was making every possible effort to de-escalate while promising to respond firmly to any attack. That is the language of a shield, and it was delivered under fire. On 24 September Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis at Taif and the Yanbu area. The Houthis went further, claiming missile and drone strikes on Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Riyadh has […]
