Mecca Joint Defense Agreement

Syria seeks Islamist expansion into Lebanon, Golan to serve Turkish interests, expert tells 'Post'

The Mecca pact is being pushed now to fill the power vacuum that could be created should the Islamic regime fall, JCPA expert Yoni Ben-Menachem told The Post.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 23, 2026.
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak as they arrive during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Leaders’ Summit at The Ritz-Carlton on May 14, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Saudis ask Trump to 'give diplomacy a chance' on Iran prior to military option, sources tell 'Post'

According to one regional source who spoke with the Post, during the meetings, the Saudis conveyed a request to Iran that Tehran refrain from targeting key Saudi oil and gas facilities.

|ByAMICHAI STEIN, REUTERS
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the AK Party headquarters, Ankara, Turkey, October 7, 2026; illustrative.

Erdogan tells Trump Turkey making diplomatic efforts on Strait of Hormuz, Yemen

Erdogan told Trump that Turkey is working to resolve the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen crises through diplomacy, as Iran considers a new Qatar-mediated ceasefire proposal.

|ByREUTERS
A woman walks next to a banner with a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, earlier this month.

Iran security chief meets Supreme Leader Khamenei after talks with Mecca pact countries

State media said Khamenei had stressed the importance of pursuing Iran's interests and maintaining its conditions for ending the war.

|ByREUTERS

India-Israel ties will bloom amid Middle East's new Mecca Pact - analysis

Ties with Greece and Cyprus are also likely to benefit from the agreement, with Athens and Nicosia as concerned about an expanded Turkish footprint in the eastern Mediterranean as Jerusalem is.

AUGUST 9, 2026ByHERB KEINON
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in Jerusalem, February 26, 2026.

Turkey, Saudi, Pakistan defense pact complicates Israel normalization hopes, expert tells 'Post'

Saudi Arabia, the hardest-hit of all three countries, likely joined the pact so it would have more leverage and options as trust in Washington is waning in the region, Guzansky said.

AUGUST 9, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.