Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan Sign Defense Pact Amid US-Iran Tensions
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed a joint defense agreement in response to rising tensions between the US and Iran.
The pact, announced at a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Mecca, states that an attack on one of them would be considered an attack on all three countries.
The agreement comes after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, leading to retaliatory strikes by Tehran against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The strikes disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, a major oil shipping channel.
An Iranian official has downplayed the significance of the pact, stating that it would not benefit Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has predicted a swift conclusion to the conflict with Iran, saying 'it can't go on much longer'.