Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement on Friday amid violence in the region from Houthi attacks and the US-Iran war.Riyadh is looking to strengthen its security ties against the backdrop of war between the United States and Iran, which has drawn in surrounding nations and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
The war has emboldened Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, both of which have attacked Saudi Arabia, while analysts say Washington is now seen as an increasingly unreliable partner.
In a joint statement published by the official Saudi press agency and Pakistan's foreign ministry, the three countries announced the signing of the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement".
They declared a "shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond".
Pakistan's foreign ministry said the pact meant an attack on any member would be regarded as an attack on all, adding it was "intended to strengthen collective deterrence".
