From left, Gen Fayyadh bin Hamed Al Ruwaili, Saudi Chief of General Staff; Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Defence Minister; Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister; Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister; and Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister, at the meeting in Istanbul. Getty ImagesShow caption: From left, Gen Fayyadh bin Hamed Al Ruwaili, Saudi Chief of …Forum attended by foreign and defence ministers, and senior army officials, in shadow of US-Iran warThe NationalAugust 31, 2026
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan held their first committee meeting under a joint defence pact in Istanbul on Monday.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, mirrors Nato's Article 5 clause, treating an attack on one member as an attack on all.
The UAE condemned an Iranian attack on its territory, calling it a "dangerous escalation" posing a "direct threat" to citizens and residents.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a road map is being developed for other countries to join the pact, signalling potential expansion.
