Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey sign NATO-style defense pact amid Yemen escalation

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey have signed a mutual defense agreement, transforming their security ties into a collective-defense alliance. The pact, signed in Mecca, stipulates that an attack on any of the three nations will be considered an attack on all, mirroring NATO's Article 5 principle.

This development occurs as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have escalated attacks on Saudi forces in recent days. On Friday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for strikes on a base in eastern Yemen, which reportedly killed at least two civilians and injured 14 others. The previous day, the group claimed a "large-scale" operation on government military camps, reportedly killing 30 troops.

Meanwhile, US sources indicated that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs privately acknowledged the need for the US to find a way out of the conflict with Iran, as military escalation options could backfire. In Iraq, pro-Iran militias postponed retaliatory attacks against the US and Saudi Arabia due to "honorable positions taken by some honorable political leaders." An Iranian official warned that the defense pact would not guarantee Saudi security, comparing it to the failure of decades of dependence on the Americans.

Lawmakers in Iran are awaiting final approval on a proposed framework agreement with Oman for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow temporary use of Iranian and Omani shipping routes before a central course is established.

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The Saudis should understand that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as decades of one-sided dependence on the Americans failed to do so.