Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey military chiefs meet to strengthen defense cooperation

The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met in Riyadh on September 25, 2026, to operationalize the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed on August 7, 2026. The talks focused on enhancing intelligence sharing and military coordination to protect Saudi Arabia against escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces, which have targeted civilian infrastructure in Mecca and disrupted shipping in the Red Sea. The meeting highlights growing regional security anxieties amid broader Gulf vulnerabilities.

Meetings to coordinate defense cooperation

• ▪Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, to arrange the urgent military chiefs' meeting.
• ▪Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir in Riyadh on Friday, September 25, 2026, to discuss the outcomes of the military chiefs' meeting.
• ▪The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met in Riyadh on Friday, September 25, 2026, to discuss enhancing intelligence sharing, military coordination, and capability integration.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement

• ▪Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026, establishing that an armed attack against one signatory is considered an attack against all three.
• ▪The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
• ▪The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement followed nearly a year of negotiations among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
• ▪The defense pact comes as the war with Iran exposes security vulnerabilities for Gulf states and disrupts the shipping of oil and other key goods through the Strait of Hormuz.
• ▪The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia held their first committee meeting for the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul, Turkey, on August 31, 2026.

Escalation of Houthi attacks

• ▪The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey condemned recent attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, which have escalated since July 2026, targeting civilian and economic infrastructure in the holy city of Mecca and other Saudi locations
• ▪Houthi forces declared a maritime blockade and launched strikes against Saudi-linked ships and tankers in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
• ▪Attacks against Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi forces escalated in July 2026, ending a truce that had been agreed upon in April 2022.

Debatable claims

• ▪Pakistan and Turkey should commit to defending Saudi Arabia from armed attacks
• ▪The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement stabilizes Middle Eastern security
• ▪The Houthi maritime blockade in the Red Sea justifies a collective military response