U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday he was pleased by the recent signing of a defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.

“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he wrote, calling it a “BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP.”

The three-way agreement, signed August 7, comes amid a U.S.-Iran war that has extended violence to the region, including Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks.

– AFP