The order in the Middle East, based on the US security umbrella, Israel’s military superiority, Iran’s influence through long-range weapons and proxy forces, and Arab countries’ dependence on Washington, is unraveling. The wars that began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 have pushed countries in the region to reassess their security policies. A multilayered architecture based on traditional alliances, small coalitions, bilateral defense agreements, economic partnerships, local military capacity and diplomacy with former enemies is taking shape. The US remains the leading external military power through its bases, intelligence, missile defense, naval power and logistical access. However, tensions with Iran have demonstrated the risks linked to the American military presence for Gulf countries. While maintaining their ties with Washington, these countries are forming regional partnerships and seeking to reduce tensions with Tehran. Saudi Arabia is strengthening its ties with Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt. The Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defense agreement dated 7 August 2026 covers joint exercises, unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence (AI) and defense industry cooperation, as well as political and military coordination. This arrangement does not amount to a Middle Eastern NATO.
Why it matters
This shift shows that countries in the region are turning to using different partnerships simultaneously rather than leaving their security to the military protection of a single external power. For the Gulf countries, the aim is to limit the risks that the American military presence could create without severing ties with Washington, and to establish additional channels for managing tensions with Iran. Saudi Arabia’s defense coordination with Türkiye and Pakistan shows that security relations are shifting toward a more flexible structure combining diplomacy, technology and local capacity. However, it remains unclear to what extent this partnership will provide lasting political alignment and operational coordination among the parties, as well as how the United States’ leading military role in the region will take shape during this process.
Background
The United States is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 9 reports mentioning the country in the past 90 days; the most recent is dated September 2, 2026.