“We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.” In the case of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Türkiye and a number of other Gulf states and even NATO, abrasive US policies threaten to shake these eternal interests and inflict collateral damage. Illustration by The Geostrata Signed in Mecca on 7 August 2026, the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement brings Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan

The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan on August 7, 2026, has generated significant sensationalism. Commentators have labelled it an "Islamic NATO," pointing to its collective defence clause modelled on NATO's Article 5. However, rigorous strategic analysis requires moving past declarative intents to examine the material, geographical, and industrial realities governing the signatories. Illustration by The Geostrata Rather than