Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have sealed a joint defence pact in a move that could reshape the Middle East's security landscape.
The deal was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Mecca, following months of growing tensions between the United States and Iran.
Under the agreement, an attack on any of the three signatories will be treated as an attack on all three, effectively creating a trilateral deterrent against regional threats.
The pact builds on a previous bilateral defence agreement signed last year between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and reflects growing concern over disruptions to shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
Observers say the alliance could give the trio an advantage in countering Iranian influence and in maintaining stability in critical maritime trade routes.
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