Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan will sign a defense agreement in Jeddah on Friday, sources close to the Saudi military and government said.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Saudi Arabian city.

“Although taking place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf, the visit will carry significance beyond the immediate crisis and short-term considerations,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday, regarding Sharif’s visit to the Red Sea city.

One source said that the agreement was under discussion “for a long time,” but recent developments in the region have sped up the process. The move comes as regional powers are attempting to strengthen security ties amid the war between the United States and Iran. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defense pact last year, a move that drew attention because Pakistan is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-equipped state.

The broader geopolitical implications of the trilateral framework extend beyond the Middle East. It could evolve into a platform capable of influencing security dynamics across the Gulf, the Red Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South Asia. It also introduces a new variable into the strategic calculations of Iran, Israel, India, China, Russia, and the United States, all of which have substantial interests in these regions. (AFP/EIR)