Mecca Joint Defense Agreement

Iran at the threshold, Israel outside the room - opinion

Nuclear facilities have been damaged, but subsequent US intelligence assessments do not indicate a significant increase in the time Iran would need to produce a weapon. 

 An Iranian missile is displayed during a rally marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan in Tehran, Iran April 29, 2022.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, Sept. 24, 2026.

'Horrific terrorist attack': Netanyahu, world leaders condemn Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

 An Iranian missile system is displayed next to a banner with a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during Iranian defence week, in a street in Tehran, Iran, September 24, 2024.

Between the straits: The world cannot afford to yield to Iran - opinion

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting at his ruling AK Party (AKP) in Ankara, Turkey, October 7, 2026.

Mecca defense pact puts Turkey’s commitment to Saudi under domestic scrutiny - analysis


Turkey sending technical, defensive support to Saudi Arabia to help fight Houthis, officials say

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking to the media after a meeting of the Mecca alliance, said the sides had discussed what support to provide Saudi Arabia for its defensive capabilities.

Houthi supporters rally to celebrate advances by Houthi forces along the Red Sea coastline, in Sanaa, Yemen, September 18, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey defense pact faces first test in Houthi offensive - analysis

The new alliance has taken shape over recent months, with September’s Houthi offensive and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia presenting its first major test.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by their ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Mecca defense signees converging to discuss Houthi threat after Baghaei warns of escalation

The meeting comes a day after Iranian FM Esmail Baghaei said he hoped a “rumor” that Pakistan had deployed troops to Saudi Arabia was untrue, warning that intervention would complicate the situation.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by their ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Saudi Arabia turns to Pakistan, Turkey as US refuses to intervene against Houthi threat - analysis

The kingdom is searching for friends beyond Washington, for allies ready to put rockets where the rhetoric is and assist in a fight Saudi Arabia considers existential.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chat after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.

Turkey says Mecca pact committee to meet in Riyadh on October 5

"The meeting will address recent developments in the region and the stage reached in the Alliance’s institutionalization efforts," the Turkish statement said.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and other officials pose before the first committee meeting for the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, in Istanbul, Turkey, August 31, 2026.

Pakistan says Mecca pact members to hold emergency talks on engaging Houthis

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are set to decide next steps for engaging Yemen's Houthis politically following increased attacks by the Iran-backed group.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Ishaq Dar attends a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty to discuss stability in the region following an interim deal between the U.S. and Iran, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Egypt June 21, 2026.

Saudi coalition says it intercepts Houthi missiles, drones targeting Khamis Mushait, Riyadh

Hours before the Houthi attack, the military chiefs of Saudi Arabia and defense allies Pakistan ​and Turkey reviewed threats facing Saudi Arabia ​at a meeting in the Saudi capital.

Houthi activists stand on a platform against a banner depicting Houthi missiles, at an anti-Saudi rally amid an escalation with the kingdom, in Sanaa, Yemen, July 31, 2026.

Pakistani, Saudi, Turkish chiefs discuss closer military ties

The meeting follows a Washington Post report earlier on Friday that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing a nuclear weapons program, according to US intelligence assessments.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and other officials pose before the first committee meeting for the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, in Istanbul, Turkey, August 31, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan to hold urgent chiefs-of-staff meeting after Houthi attacks

The Houthis have launched strikes on the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and repeatedly fired into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world's largest energy exporter.

Iran-aligned Houthi fighters move next to a destroyed vehicle following what the source described as an attack on Saudi-backed forces in the location given by the source as al Jawf governorate, Yemen, in this screengrab taken from a video released by Houthi Military Media on September 15, 2026.

Katz attacks 'paper sultan' Erdogan over UNGA speech, urges him to stop 'messing with Israel'

The defense minister accused Erdogan of financing and embracing Hamas, and claimed that he dreams of "restoring the Ottoman Empire" in a post on X/Twitter.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026.