Trump cheers defense pact between Saudis, Turkey and Pakistan: ‘The Mideast is coming together’

US president says the agreement is ‘BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP’ toward having countries ‘finally being able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way’

US President Donald Trump on Sunday touted the defense pact inked earlier this month by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.

“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 on Truth Social, calling the agreement a “BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP.”

The three-way agreement, signed August 7, comes as the US-Israel war with Iran that began in late February has extended across the Middle East, including Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks, upending the security architecture in the region and forcing a rethink of decades of conventional wisdom rooted in American military supremacy.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the pact meant an attack on any member would be regarded as an attack on all, adding it was “intended to strengthen collective deterrence.”

The agreement, which also rejects Israel’s hegemony, declared a “shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.”

The three countries will also share a commitment to participating in efforts to resolve the conflict between Iran and the United States.

Iran has also touted the trilateral defense deal, claiming it represent a shift away from alliances with the US.

But some analysts have downplayed attempts by either side to elevate the importance of the agreement, given that none of the participants are likely to militarily intervene on behalf of another country if it comes under attack.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia was open to expansion — with Egypt as a potential candidate — and did not seek to replace any existing alliances.