“The deal was signed in the Saudi city of Mecca by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Erdogan of Turkey, and the Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. The move consolidated a growing split between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan; and India, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which have drawn closer in recent months after Israel helped the UAE to repel Iranian attacks.

The new alliance brings Saudi Arabia closer to Turkey, one of the region’s most advanced weapons manufacturers, and Pakistan, a nuclear power. But it is meant to replace the Saudis’ dependence on the US, which has pledged to help Saudi Arabia build a civil nuclear reactor and provides much of the kingdom’s arms.

The kingdom, however, is seeking to diversify its defence relations, especially after the war with Iran, which showed the limits of American military power while strengthening a new, and more radical, regime in Tehran.” (thetimes.com)

“Turkish leaders have insisted that the new trilateral defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not directed at Iran. Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that the pact does not identify Iran, or any other country, as a common threat.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stating that an armed attack on one of the three countries would be considered an attack on them all.

‘There is no common threat that we have put in writing,’ Fidan told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu agency, adding that countries that do not attack the signatories would not be considered targets.

The alliance will also establish political and military committees, bringing together foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs, as well as a secretariat in Saudi Arabia.

Fidan said the three countries would work on joint training, intelligence sharing, logistics, threat assessments and military interoperability.

Defence-industry cooperation is also expected to be a notable part of the pact. Fidan said it was one of the main issues discussed by the three leaders in Mecca, including how the countries could benefit from each other’s military technologies.

The Turkish minister said preparations for the agreement had been under way for nearly two years and eight months, suggesting it was not drawn up simply in response to the current tensions involving Iran.

Despite Ankara’s assurances, some Iranian officials have questioned the agreement and warned Saudi Arabia against relying on its new partners for security.

Reporting from Ankara, Turkiye, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said that, according to officials there, the escalating regional tensions have indeed forced the countries to come together.

The three partners bring complementary strengths, ‘including Turkey’s defence-industrial capabilities, Saudi financial muscle and influence, and Pakistan’s military experience and strategic deterrent’.

However, Iranian MP Ebrahim Rezaei criticised the pact in a post on X on Friday. ‘Saudis must know that a paper agreement with Türkiye and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided dependence on the Americans did not bring them security,’ he wrote. ‘Reform your policies so that you do not need to beg for security from others.’

So far, neither Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office nor the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs have commented on the new defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.

In a post on X, former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani expressed hope that all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would ‘take the initiative to join’ the pact. In addition to Saudi Arabia, the GCC includes Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.” (aljazeera.com)

“Saudi Arabia turns to Turkiye and Pakistan for defence ties, raising questions [about] over-reliance on the US. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye have signed a joint defence pact. It is an alliance that analysts say highlights Riyadh’s desire to diversify its defence partnerships, expanding to Ankara and Islamabad.

The pact was announced at a time of increased regional tension. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has launched a military operation against the Iran-aligned Houthis following a series of attacks, while Iran and the US have yet to reach a final deal to end the war.

The trilateral Mecca pact raises questions about the effectiveness of the decades-long US military presence in the Gulf. Does this alliance offer a viable alternative to the security umbrella promised by Washington?” (aljazeera.com)

“A core objective of the agreement is accelerating technological cooperation and joint manufacturing across the three nations’ defence sectors. The framework provides for joint research and development, technology transfer, streamlined defence procurement, and co-production of military hardware, particularly in high-technology domains such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), naval engineering, air defence systems, and electronic warfare suites. The treaty also formalises the mechanism for continuous strategic intelligence sharing, joint operational planning, reciprocal personnel exchanges, and combined tri-service military exercises across land, sea, and air domains.” (firstpost.com)

“The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement integrates three complementary forms of military and influence, creating a potent strategic triangle across West Asia and South Asia. As the world’s leading oil exporter and the largest economy in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia provides the financial capital, infrastructure, and political authority required to sustain long-term alliance initiatives. Riyadh’s central role within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the broader Islamic world gives the pact diplomatic clout.

As a NATO member possessing the alliance’s second-largest military force, Turkey brings sophisticated operational experience, standardised command systems, and an advanced domestic defence industrial sector.

Turkish defence firms — manufacturers of modern armoured platforms, naval warfighters, electronic warfare suites, and combat drone systems — provide the alliance with advanced indigenous military technology independent of Western export restrictions.

Meanwhile, Pakistan contributes one of the world’s largest standing armies, decades of expeditionary training experience in the Arabian Peninsula, and its unique position as the only nuclear-armed nation in the Muslim world.” (firstpost.com)

“We are here today with the longing and the determination to build a Middle East without Israel and America…” (americanthinker.com)

“When you study the world of Islam, you find that there is a lot of diversity. It is not the monolithic faith that people make it out to be. The extreme Islamist side to Islam is a part of that diversity but it is a small part on the fringe. Most Muslims who immigrate to the USA and Canada are moderates who want to adapt to their new homes and countries.

This means that they are open to democracy, and learning the ways of the local culture. They want to become good citizens and seek prosperity for their families. In this way they are like you and me. Even in places where Muslims are concentrated, such as Dearborn, Michigan, there is no call to implement Sharia Law.

Muslims also value the rights and freedoms that we hold dearly in western societies and they are willing and ready to adapt. Let’s be good neighbors and offer them hospitality rather than fear them.” (crcna.org)

“As of 2025, five Muslims have been elected to US Congress.” (wikipedia.org)

“42 Muslim Americans win in US elections, marking record milestone. From New York to Virginia, Muslim candidates make record gains, reshaping US politics and signaling the community’s rising influence despite Islamophobic attacks and disinformation campaigns. This marks the largest number of Muslim victories in American political history.” (muslimnetwork.tv)

“New York City’s political shift took a dramatic turn as Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist from Queens, delivered a post-election speech at a Brooklyn mosque where the crowd chanted ‘Allahu Akbar.’ The 34-year-old Democrat Socialist, now the first Muslim mayor in city history, used his platform to promote redistribution of wealth and socialist-style governance under the banner of faith and community service. He spoke about economic justice, collective ownership, and moral duty to share resources, while the crowd’s chants created an atmosphere that blended religion and politics in a way many found deeply unsettling. The chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ at the Brooklyn mosque captured a city surrendering to a movement that confuses activism with leadership and ideology with governance.” (thegatewaypundit.com)

“Record number of Muslims elected to UK parliament despite rising Islamophobia.” (muslimnetwork.tv)

“The quiet spread of Sharia law in the UK raises concerns over its influence on Muslim communities and its conflict with secularism. However, this issue is far from being confined to the UK — it is a global concern with profound implications for many other countries.” (stophindudvesha.org)

“The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is likely to be viewed by Tehran as a major success resulting from its aerial attacks on Gulf states… it was a sign of a concerning regional mentality that would see ISRAEL CAST AS THE DESTABILIZING POWER, NOT IRAN… ‘They are looking at Israel as if it is the enemy.’

Though not speaking on behalf of the pact, only a day after the agreement was announced, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Pakistan media that there should be ‘a united military front’ against Israel, which he described as a ‘threat to the entire Muslim world’.” (jpost.com)