New power axis in the making? Three military heavyweights lock arms, complicating Abraham Accords strategy

A new defense pact linking Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan is fueling debate over whether the three countries are laying the groundwork for a competing regional bloc — potentially challenging the U.S.-backed architecture built around Israel and the Abraham Accords — or simply creating a new model of burden-sharing among American partners.

The three countries, all with longstanding security ties to the United States, enter the pact with different interests — but together they could begin shifting the region’s balance of power.

Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Defense Agreement with the United States in November 2025 and was designated a major...