‘Bold and important first step': Trump hails Pakistan-KSA-Turkiye defence pact

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has hailed the joint defence pact recently signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, terming it a 'bold and important first step'. 'It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Monday. The US president congratulated the leadership of the three nations on the signing of the pact, saying it was 'a big, bold, and important first step'. Regional powers are looking to strengthen security ties amid the US-Israel war on Iran, which started on February 28, and has had a major impact on the region — drawing in several Gulf countries and paralysing maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The accord stipulates that an armed attack against any member would be regarded as an attack on all, similar to Nato's Article 5 collective defence clause. The joint defence pact was signed a year after Islamabad signed a mutual defence agreement with Riyadh, committing both sides to treat any aggression against either country as an attack on both. Days after the summit, PM Shehbaz said that the trilateral defence agreement was not aimed at aggression against any country. Addressing the federal cabinet meeting on August 10, the prime minister said that the agreement signed in Makkah between the three countries was aimed at promoting peace, security and prosperity in the region, the prime minister said. Prior to that, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that the pact remained open to countries willing to uphold its core principles. In a statement posted on X, DPM Dar stressed that the pact was defensive in nature and aimed at promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the wider region. The Makkah Accord reflected the deep-rooted brotherly ties among the three countries and was the result of years of discussions and coordination to strengthen strategic cooperation in addressing shared peace and security challenges, he said. Separately, the Turkish president said that Egypt could become the next country to join the mutual defence pact between the three states. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Erdogan described Cairo's possible accession as one of several options being considered as the alliance looks to expand its membership. 'This agreement has sent an important message to the world,' Erdogan told Al Jazeera's Ali Al Dafiri during an interview for the programme Al Muqabala. Erdogan said that the agreement remained open to additional members and indicated that Egypt's participation was possible. PM Shehbaz thanks Trump for 'words of support' PM Shehbaz expressed gratitude to Trump for the 'kind words of support' on the signing of the joint defence pact. In a post on X, the prime minister said Pakistan, in coordination with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, would continue playing a constructive role in ensuring the defence of the three countries and the wider region. 'I would also like to once again commend President Trump for his courageous and decisive leadership, which helped avert a nuclear catastrophe in South Asia and saved millions of lives,' he wrote in a post on X. According to the prime minister, durable peace was the 'most essential prerequisite' for a bright and prosperous future.