Military chiefs from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey discussed intelligence sharing, military coordination and capability integration in Riyadh on Friday, and reviewed threats facing Saudi Arabia, according to Saudi and Pakistani statements.
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry and Pakistan’s military said the chiefs condemned attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis targeting Makkah and the kingdom’s civilian and economic infrastructure. They also discussed further cooperation among the three armed forces.
Last month, the three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, under which an armed attack on any one would be regarded as an attack on all. The signatories said the pact aimed to strengthen collective deterrence and military cooperation. It followed nearly a year of negotiations and came as the Iran war exposed Gulf states’ security vulnerabilities and disrupted shipping of oil and other key goods through the Strait of Hormuz.
