The joint defence agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Mecca on August 7 reflects their shared strategic anxieties and the changes under way in West Asia’s security architecture. The three countries have pledged to bolster collective security and deterrence, and promised to treat an armed attack against one as an attack against all. In September 2025, a few weeks after Israel bombed Qatar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia announced a bilateral defence agreement. Over the past five months, Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks. Existing conflicts, therefore, make the promise of collective defence largely symbolic from the very outset.