Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his public support of the Makkah defence pact [1].
The agreement creates a joint defence framework between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye. This alignment represents a significant shift in regional security architecture aimed at deterring nuclear escalation in South Asia and the Middle East [1, 2].
President Trump welcomed the pact on Monday, Aug. 17 [1, 4]. He described the agreement as a "big, bold step" and said, "This is a major step for Middle East security" [3, 5].
Prime Minister Sharif praised the U.S. president for his role in the process. He said that Trump's leadership helped avert a nuclear catastrophe [1].
The pact is designed to strengthen cooperation among the three signatory nations to maintain stability [2]. Trump said he was "very happy to see" the three countries enter the agreement [4].
While the U.S. is not a signatory to the pact, the public endorsement from the White House signals American approval of the tripartite security arrangement. The agreement focuses on regional deterrence and the prevention of large-scale conflict in volatile corridors [1, 2].
“"This is a major step for Middle East security."”
The Makkah defence pact establishes a new security axis between three major Muslim-majority powers, reducing their sole reliance on Western security guarantees. By securing public endorsement from the U.S. president, the pact gains international legitimacy and suggests a strategic U.S. preference for regional partners to share the burden of deterrence against nuclear proliferation and instability in the Middle East and South Asia.
