For decades, whenever the Middle East faced a major security crisis, regional leaders looked toward Washington.

That instinct is beginning to change.

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On Aug. 7, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Its central commitment is unmistakably modeled on NATO: An armed attack against one member will be treated as an attack against all three.

It is tempting to dismiss the agreement as another ceremonial pact among governments with different interests. That would be a mistake. The agreement may not yet possess NATO’s integrated command structure, operational planning, or clearly defined military obligations, but it reflects something strategically important: Three major Muslim powers no longer want their security to depend entirely on the United States.

Calling the pact an “Islamic NATO” may be premature. But it is not an absurd comparison.

Together, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan represent roughly 375 million people and spend more than $120 billion annually on defense. More important than the numbers, however, is what each country brings to the arrangement.

Saudi Arabia brings money, energy leverage, and a commanding geographic position in the Gulf and Red Sea. Turkey brings NATO’s second-largest military and a rapidly expanding domestic defense industry capable of producing drones, missiles, armored vehicles, electronic warfare systems, and aerospace technology. Pakistan brings one of the world’s largest militaries, decades of combat experience, and an estimated nuclear arsenal of........

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