The Makkah defence agreement was signed on 7 August. The agreement spells out that an armed attack against one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three. The agreement does not name any enemy, although all three countries know they share one; ironically, they cannot spell it out.

Remaining optimistic, operational commitments are otherwise not publicly spelt out in any security agreement. The agreement is likely to establish high-level political and military mechanisms, joint exercises, and defence-industry cooperation, including unmanned systems, electronic warfare, and AI. It may also be open to additional countries, although Saudi Arabia has reservations about Egypt expanding the agreement, while Turkey is in favour. A similar equation might exist between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia once it comes to Iran.

Leaving aside expansion, the desire for peace, security, and regional stability spelt out in this agreement has to be a source of concern for the USA, Israel and India. International think tanks and defence circles are chattering about it as a perilous and mysterious triangle of nations, even naming it the Bermuda Triangle. After 10 days of its announcement, President Trump has endorsed the triangular defence agreement by declaring it as a positive development for strategic stability and security in the region,........

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