Saudi Arabia is building regional defensive alliances to deter attacks by Iran and its network of regional allies. The kingdom has faced damaging attacks on critical oil infrastructure from Yemen and Iraq, as well as on its shipping via the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
Defensive Alliances
Saudi Arabia has signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan in Mecca, which carries the symbolic weight of Muslim nations pledging to defend each other. The pact is technically the same as NATO’s Article 5 and would require consultations between all parties to determine what sort of support to provide any attacked country, if they ask for any.
The kingdom has also announced its intention to lead a maritime defence coalition in the Red Sea, with 14 regional countries having signed on so far. Western diplomats say European nations are still deliberating whether to join, concerned about how far they would potentially become involved in a war in Yemen.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.