The security landscape of the Muslim world may be entering a new phase. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, committing to treat an armed attack against any one of the three countries as an attack against all. Signed in Makkah last Friday, the pact comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the region. The Middle East is already facing heightened tensions involving Iran, the US, missile and drone threats, maritime insecurity and growing questions over the future of the American security role in the region.

Against this backdrop, three major Muslim powers have decided to institutionalise their defence cooperation. The significance of the agreement lies less in the ceremony and more in the message of collective deterrence. The three countries bring different strengths to the table. Together, they offer a combination that neither country could provide alone.

But perhaps the most revealing way to understand the pact is to look back at 2019. At the time, Pakistan........

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