On August 7, 2026, a trilateral mutual defence agreement was signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in Mecca. In fact, the Saudis hurriedly signed a mutual defence agreement with Pakistan in September 2025, days after Israel targeted Hamas in Qatar, which created a perception of the US being unable or unwilling to control Israel targeting the GCC countries. But between US President Donald Trump’s pampering of Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership, Pakistan’s Iran war mediation and now the Mecca agreement, both the global and the regional diplomatic standing of Pakistan has risen.