Middle East Crisis New Defense Pact

Analysis: New alliance shows that the US no longer rules the Middle East

American influence is no longer the dominant force in the Middle East. Steven Cook writes this in an analysis for the American think tank Council on Foreign Relations. The nail in the coffin, he believes, is the new military alliance between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey.

The US has undermined its own authority in the region for a long time, and Donald Trump's erratic behavior seems to have finally made their most important ally Saudi Arabia realize that they are not only able, but may also want to stand on their own two feet, Cook writes.

"The Saudis and their new security partners are building a new order that allows them, rather than Washington, to shape the region to their will."

In the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, Jonathan Spyer makes a similar assessment of the situation. He also believes that the alliance also poses a kind of latent threat to Israel, which has long been dependent on US support and great influence in the region.

“The anti-Israeli stances of this emerging alliance are not just rhetoric. Rather, they are a fundamental part of the strategy,” he writes.

Erdogan: Mecca Pact sends an important signal to the outside world

The new defense alliance between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is changing the playing field in the Middle East and Asia. This is what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says in an interview with Al Jazeera.

– This agreement has sent an important signal to the outside world.

The so-called Mecca Pact stipulates, among other things, that an attack on one of the member countries should be seen as an attack on all three, something that has been likened to NATO's much-talked-about Article Five.

In the future, the alliance is expected to grow further, according to Erdogan, who says he sees Egyptian membership as a natural next step.