President Donald Trump has welcomed a new mutual defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, describing the Mecca Agreement as a sign that Middle Eastern countries are increasingly able to provide for their own security. Pakistan’s prime minister quickly welcomed Trump’s comments and said Islamabad intends to play a constructive role in defending the region.
The agreement raises questions for Israel, which had hoped Saudi Arabia would move towards normalization through the Abraham Accords. Instead, Riyadh now appears to be strengthening a separate regional security bloc alongside Pakistan and Turkey.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet Jared Kushner as Washington intensifies efforts to advance its Gaza peace plan. Kushner held rare talks with senior Hamas officials in Cairo on Sunday. The U.S. proposal calls for Hamas to disarm in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal, but Netanyahu has rejected the plan while Hamas insists Israel must withdraw and halt attacks first.
Iran is also reportedly preparing for the possibility of a much wider regional conflict. The Wall Street Journal says Iranian commanders used negotiations with Washington to prepare contingency plans including attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure and undersea cables, while increasing coordination with proxies across the region.
In Israel, around 140,000 Likud members are voting in a closely watched primary ahead of October’s election, amid polls showing the party could fall from its current 32 seats to around 22–24.
And Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, has accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani of fuelling antisemitic incitement following an attack at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue. Israel and Honduras have also signed a new agreement aimed at deepening defence cooperation.