There was always something inevitable about the new Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey mutual defence agreement. Islamabad’s security ties with longtime allies Riyadh and Ankara have intensified in recent years, culminating in last year’s Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact and stepped-up Pakistan-Turkey defence cooperation that resulted in Pakistan drawing on Turkish drones in its conflict with India last year.

And after many years of tensions, Ankara and Riyadh have experienced a rapid rapprochement — one spearheaded by a 2023 Turkish drones deal. With the three countries further increasing cooperation during the Iran war, recent months had produced ample buzz about an imminent new trilateral arrangement.

With each country having a strong interest in deterring Iran and Israel, there was an urgent imperative to band together. And with each country bringing something unique to the table — Pakistan’s nuclear capacities, Saudi Arabia’s oil money and wider capital, and Turkey’s arms production — comparative advantage was never going to be a problem.

Also Read | The Mecca defence pact: A new Sunni bloc or a strategic tool against India?

But it’s also important not to overlook how the Donald Trump factor gave the three countries such a strong rationale to conclude a deal, as well.

The Mecca agreement has likely been received well by the White House. The Trump administration wants to see more burden-sharing by its allies in ways that........

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