Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye meet: What’s next for their defence pact?

Islamabad, Pakistan — Officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are in Istanbul on Monday for their first meeting since they signed a new mutual defence pact.The meeting comes hours after Washington and Tehran traded strikes for the first time in a month, breaking a lull in a war that has now run for more than six months, after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Top officials from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to meet in Istanbullist 2 of 4Trump hails Mecca pact: Can it replace the region’s US security umbrella?list 3 of 4Saudi-Pakistan-Turkiye pact: A new shield or strategic signal?list 4 of 4With Kuwait deal, Pakistan expands defence umbrella across Middle Eastend of listField Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, and Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, were already in Turkiye by Sunday. Dar flew in from London, where he had just wrapped up a separate visit.Pakistani officials have suggested in recent weeks that Egypt might also join the Monday meeting — not to discuss the defence agreement, but as part of a foursome that has played a key mediating role in trying to end the US war on Ir...