Israeli journalist Roi Kais reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are set to sign a joint defense agreement in Jeddah today. The report follows earlier announcements of a summit between the three leaders.
Israeli journalist Roi Kais reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are set to sign a joint defense agreement in Jeddah today (Friday). The report follows a series of rapidly converging reports since Thursday evening.
On Thursday evening (23:27 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported that AFP, citing a source close to the Saudi government, said the three leaders were scheduled to meet in Jeddah on Friday. By early Friday morning (03:03 Jerusalem), Reuters reported from two sources that a joint defense pact was to be signed, with Turkish media independently confirming a trilateral security cooperation agreement. A separate Reuters report indicated that Turkey was expected to join an existing Saudi-Pakistan defense alliance, warning that the bloc, now including two states hostile to Israel, could reshape the Middle East.
The reports build on a diplomatic backdrop in which Pakistan has played a central mediating role, as The Zioneer reported on June 17 regarding the US-Iran Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman has also been actively engaged in regional de-escalation, including a phone call with President Trump on August 2 aimed at preventing a wider confrontation, as The Zioneer reported at the time.
No official confirmation of the agreement has been issued by any of the three governments. The exact terms, scope, and legal status of the defense pact remain unverified, and it is not yet clear whether the signing will be followed by a formal announcement or public ceremony.
3 developments
- StrongAFP: Saudi, Turkish, Pakistani leaders to hold Jeddah summit Friday, citing government source
- StrongReuters: Saudi Crown Prince, Iraqi PM cancel Jeddah meeting after Iraq strikes, Saudi launches
- StrongPakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Saudi Arabia today for one-day official visit
- DevelopingTrump to hold Middle East summit in France on Tuesday — US official, Pakistan says Iran deal signing set for Sunday
Source and signal
- Open-source intake