Trump hails Makkah Joint Defense Agreement as ‘big, bold and important first step’

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Sunday welcomed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, describing the landmark pact as a major step toward strengthening regional security and countries’ ability to defend themselves.“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he added.Trump congratulated the leadership of the three countries, calling the agreement a “BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP — WOW!”Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement on Aug. 7 at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, establishing a trilateral framework for collective defense and expanded security and military cooperation.The agreement was signed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.At the heart of the pact is a mutual defense commitment stipulating that any armed attack against one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all of them.The agreement also seeks to deepen defense cooperation and collective deterrence among the three countries, building on their longstanding bilateral military and security ties.Saudi Arabia has stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature and does not represent the formation of a military axis or a sectarian or religious bloc.