An analysis published on August 9, 2026, citing Middle East Eye, argues that Israel’s military dominance in regional politics has not become leadership based on neighbouring states’ consent, trust and cooperation. It says prolonged wars, international criticism and reliance on the United States are weakening the foundations of Israel’s regional position despite its military capabilities.

Using Antonio Gramsci’s distinction between domination and hegemony, the report says Israel can compel others but has not built voluntary regional acceptance. It cites military actions since 2023, including damage to Hamas infrastructure, killings of Hezbollah leaders and military presence in parts of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. The analysis also points to international legal proceedings, UN scrutiny and negative public opinion as evidence of a growing legitimacy problem.

The report further highlights Israel’s technology sector, its integration with US capital and security systems, and concerns over skilled workers leaving the country. It says the United States, rather than Israel, was the central link in regional air-defence coordination. Saudi Arabia and other regional states have not made their foreign policies dependent on Israel, the analysis says. It concludes that military dominance may endure with a strong patron, but has not made Israel an accepted regional leader.

Turkey has assured Iran that the Mecca joint defense pact signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was not designed to target Tehran. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the statement on Saturday after Tehran expressed dissatisfaction with the agreement. He said Iran, or any other country, was not identified in the pact as a common threat.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement on Friday. The pact states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all of them. Fidan told Anadolu that no common threat had been specified in writing, and that countries not attacking the signatories would not be considered targets.

Fidan described the agreement as technically similar to NATO’s Article 5 collective-defense provision, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. Despite Ankara’s assurances, some Iranian officials questioned the pact and warned Saudi Arabia against relying on new security partners. Iranian parliamentary commission member Mahmoud Nabavian said cooperation with Turkey and Pakistan would not ensure Saudi security, while commission member Ebrahim Rezaei called it a paper agreement.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a NATO-style mutual defense agreement in Mecca on Friday, amid tensions from the ongoing war with Iran moving closer to Saudi Arabia. Under the pact, an attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all. The agreement raises the possibility that Turkey and Pakistan could become involved if Saudi Arabia faces a major attack.

The stated aim is to strengthen collective deterrence and deepen defense cooperation among the three countries. For Saudi Arabia, the agreement is described as creating a new, strong defense structure alongside its longstanding security reliance on the United States. The report identifies Turkey as NATO’s second-largest military power and Pakistan as the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed power.

All three countries said the agreement is not a military alliance against any specific country or an effort to create religious divisions, and it leaves room for other countries to join in the future. Iran expressed dissatisfaction, with Iranian parliamentarian Ebrahim Rezaei saying a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan would not provide Saudi Arabia security. Analysts said the pact sends Iran a clear warning about a wider conflict.

Israel has not issued an official response to a new defense agreement signed in Makkah by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Analysts say the pact could create fresh challenges for Israel’s regional expansionism and military activity in the Middle East. Under a key provision, an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all of them.

Turkey’s participation is viewed as especially concerning for Israel. Turkey has been a strong critic of Israel over the Gaza war, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described Israeli military activity in Syria and Lebanon as a direct threat to Turkey. Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has also sharply criticized Tel Aviv. In April, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif called Israel a curse for humanity.

Analysts say the alliance is intended not only to confront Israel but also to provide Saudi Arabia with strategic alternatives beyond dependence on US security and strengthen cooperation against Iran. Ahead of Israel’s October national election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is presenting Turkey as a possible new strategic rival. Opposition groups may cite the pact as evidence of his diplomatic failure to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Iran says positive talks with Oman on an agreement to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are advancing, but the waterway will not reopen soon even if a deal is reached. Both countries said on Saturday that discussions were progressing. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as being in their final stage, without giving a timetable for a final decision.

Tehran said reopening the strait depends on several further conditions. Oman’s Foreign Ministry warned Iran against attacks on ships using the route, raising concerns that the ongoing talks could be derailed. About 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through Hormuz, and the halt in shipping has unsettled fuel markets.

Iran says the United States must provide compensation and meet six demands before reopening is considered. Security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr cited ending threats against Iran, lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports and releasing blocked Iranian assets. The United States said it had resumed talks with Tehran on ending the war permanently.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca, declaring that an armed attack on any one member would be treated as an attack on all three. The report, published on August 8, 2026, says the pledge resembles NATO’s Article 5 and signals a potentially significant shift in Middle Eastern security and geopolitics. The joint statement, however, does not specify the scope of military cooperation or how assistance would be delivered in particular situations.

Analysts cited in the report view the pact as part of a growing regional effort to build security arrangements beyond the long-standing US-led framework. Conflict and tensions involving Iran, attacks on Saudi territory, and disruptions to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea have raised concerns for the three countries. Pakistan’s military and nuclear deterrent, Saudi financial strength, and Turkish defense technology are described as complementary assets.

Iran has sharply criticized the agreement, while India’s foreign ministry said it is closely monitoring developments. Analysts say Pakistan could seek investment, energy benefits and financial support through defense diplomacy, but the pact also carries risks of deeper involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts, strain in ties with Iran and possible sectarian tensions at home.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in the Saudi holy city of Mecca on Friday, August 7. The pact aims to ensure a collective response if any member faces an armed attack and to strengthen mutual defense capabilities. Under the agreement, an armed attack against one of the three countries will be treated as an attack against all three.

The agreement comes amid renewed questions over security and strategic stability in the Middle East following conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Baker Institute fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen said regional states had questioned the reliability of US partnership for nearly a decade. Center for International Policy analyst Sina Toossi said Riyadh was expanding regional security cooperation rather than relying only on Washington.

Ulrichsen said the pact is not intended to bypass the United States completely, but to provide additional strategic and policy options alongside US cooperation. International Crisis Group analyst Yasmin Farouk said it should not be seen as a direct replacement for the US-led security system. All three signatories remain US partners and have supported de-escalation and mediation since the war began.

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” in the Saudi holy city of Mecca on Friday, forming a new defense partnership amid growing uncertainty over US security guarantees in the Middle East. The agreement says an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three. It also calls for mutual coordination and capacity-building across all areas of defense cooperation.

The administration of US President Donald Trump had not commented on the Pakistan-Türkiye-Saudi defense agreement. Analysts cited in the report say the countries are reassessing their positions after instability surrounding the Iran war. Rice University analyst Kristian Coates Ulrichsen said doubts about the reliability of US security partnerships have grown in the region for more than a decade. Analysts nonetheless say the pact is not intended to replace the United States, but to create additional strategic security options.

The report says Iranian forces targeted US military bases in the Middle East with missiles and drones, while key energy and water infrastructure also came under attack. International Crisis Group analyst Yasmin Farouk said the agreement should not be viewed as preparation for a new conflict against Iran. She said all three countries favor reducing tensions and pursuing diplomatic solutions. Analysts see its deterrent and strategic message as more important than its immediate military effectiveness.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on neighboring countries to unite around self-reliance and what he described as “genuine brotherhood.” In a post on X on August 8, 2026, he said Iran’s armed forces had demonstrated their preparedness, capability and strength when facing what he called the world’s most expensive military force.

Araghchi said Muslims can collectively confront every challenge from hostile external powers when they remain united. He said it was time to rely only on themselves and embrace genuine brotherhood, emphasizing cooperation and self-sufficiency among countries in the region.

His remarks came after months of regional conflict that began with US and Israeli military operations against Iran, according to the report. It said Iran’s military responded to attacks on Iranian territory by striking US military bases in several Middle Eastern countries.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a joint defence agreement in the holy city of Mecca, according to a report published on August 8, 2026. Under the agreement, an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack on all of them. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the pact at a joint defence conference in Mecca.

Erdogan said the agreement was not aimed at any country. He said other brotherly countries interested in regional peace, prosperity and stability could also join it. According to Erdogan, the pact would strengthen defence cooperation among the three countries, support joint projects in the defence industry and contribute to combating terrorism.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the agreement reflected the depth of the countries’ brotherly and strategic relations and their political will to work jointly for regional security and stability. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said its main objective was to strengthen collective deterrence and broaden security and defence cooperation. Sharif called the agreement historic and described it as a shield of peace for the three countries.

The United States will lift its blockade on Iranian ports if commercial shipping resumes through the Strait of Hormuz without obstruction, a US official told Reuters. The report, published and updated on August 8, 2026, said Washington expects Iran and Oman to reach an agreement soon to reopen the strait and restore normal commercial vessel traffic.

The official said talks between Oman and Iran over the strait had made progress and that an agreement was expected shortly. Washington’s stated condition is an announced deal allowing commercial ships to resume passage without disruption.

Once such an agreement is announced, the United States will remove its blockade on Iran’s ports, according to the official. The official also said any subsequent US actions would depend strictly on Iran’s implementation of its commitments.

Iranian parliament member Ebrahim Rezaei has sharply criticized a new joint defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey amid the US-Iran war. Rezaei, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said the “paper agreement” with Turkey and Pakistan would not provide Saudi Arabia with real security. He made the remarks in a post on X.

The three countries signed the agreement, called the Mecca Joint Defense Pact, on Thursday in Mecca. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the signing. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all of them.

According to Pakistan’s statement, the pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression and broaden defense cooperation in all fields. It was signed amid Gulf security concerns and disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Rezaei said Saudi Arabia had not gained security through years of unilateral reliance on the United States, and said changing its policies would remove the need to seek security from other countries.

The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League condemned Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia’s southern Najran area, where several civilians were injured, according to a report published on August 7, 2026. GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Albudaiwi described the attack as a terrorist act violating international and humanitarian law.

Albudaiwi said Saudi Arabia’s security is inseparably linked to that of other GCC member states and pledged full support for Riyadh’s efforts to protect its borders and independence. Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmi also condemned Houthi attacks on Najran and on positions held by government forces in Yemen’s Marib and Hadramawt.

Fahmi said attacks on Saudi territory, endangering civilian lives and carrying out attacks inside Yemen represent a highly dangerous course. He said such actions threaten regional security and stability while harming prospects for de-escalation and a political settlement. The Arab League expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia against aggression targeting its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called for an end to Houthi attacks and ongoing tensions in Yemen.

Iranian parliament member Ebrahim Rezaei has urged Saudi Arabia to reconsider its foreign and security policies. Rezaei, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, made the call in a post on X, according to a report published on August 7, 2026.

He said Saudi Arabia could not secure genuine security through what he described as a paper agreement with Pakistan and Turkey. Rezaei argued that Saudi officials should understand that such an agreement would not guarantee their security.

Rezaei also referred to Saudi Arabia’s years of unilateral reliance on the United States, saying it had not provided the country with security. He called for policy reforms so that Saudi Arabia would not have to seek security from others.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a joint defense agreement, according to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry cited in a report published on August 7, 2026. The agreement aims to promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond, with the stated goal of building a secure and prosperous future.

Before the signing, Turkish state media had reported that the agreement was expected to be signed by the leaders of the three countries in Saudi Arabia. The report did not specify the exact venue, timing of the signing ceremony, or the names of the leaders involved.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had previously signed a mutual defense agreement in September 2025. Under that agreement, Pakistan deployed fighter jets and military personnel to Saudi Arabia in April this year. The report said Pakistan has long provided military cooperation to Saudi Arabia, while Saudi Arabia has repeatedly offered Pakistan financial assistance during periods of economic crisis.