Saudi Arabia Forges New Alliances Amid Surging Iran-Backed Attacks

Just days after Saudi Arabia solidified two major defensive alliances – the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Türkiye and Pakistan and a broad Red Sea Maritime Alliance – Iran-backed groups immediately ramped up attacks on Saudi targets and critical shipping lanes. The Makkah Pact, signed on August 7, 2026, committed Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan to a collective defense principle, aiming to deter aggression. Simultaneously, the kingdom launched a multinational coalition to secure the Red Sea, a vital global trade corridor. These new pacts underscore Riyadh's urgent push for strategic autonomy, especially amidst the ongoing US-Iran War and lingering doubts about the dependability of traditional US security guarantees. Iran-backed Iraqi Militias and the Houthis in Yemen, however, quickly tested these new security architectures, with intelligence reports detailing 'imminent' attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and actual drone strikes hitting facilities like the Aramco refinery in Jazan. This escalation highlights the complex web of proxy conflicts Saudi Arabia is navigating, even as it tries to avoid direct involvement in the wider regional conflict. Moving forward, the real test for these alliances will be their operational effectiveness in deterring future attacks and coordinating a unified response. Observers will be watching closely to see if the Makkah Pact can move beyond a declarative statement to integrated command and joint exercises, and if the Red Sea alliance can genuinely safeguard maritime security against persistent threats. The delicate balance for Saudi Arabia remains: how to robustly defend its interests and infrastructure without being fully dragged into a war it desperately wants to avoid.