West Asia war LIVE: Trump welcomes defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan

Home News World Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, said U.S. President Donald Trump Updated - August 17, 2026 06:41 am IST U.S. President Donald Trump. File | Photo Credit: AP U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday (August 16, 2026) he was pleased by the recent signing of a defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.Also read | Iran fires back at Trump’s threat to declare Hormuz a U.S. territory“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he wrote, calling it a “BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP.”Also read | What does the U.S.-Iran agreement say? | Explained The three-way agreement, signed August 7, comes amid a U.S.-Iran war that has extended violence to the region, including Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks.Follow here for the LIVE updates:August 17, 2026 06:41 Shipping through Strait of Hormuz slows downShipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend, data showed today, ‌following attacks on tankers. Five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with none registered for yesterday, shiptracking data from Kpler showed, versus 31 in the ⁠prior weekend.- ReutersAugust 17, 2026 06:38 Oil treads water as U.S.-Iran peace talks stall, Hormuz shipping slowsOil prices barely ⁠moved in early trade today as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend, with no ‌peace deal in sight between the United States and Iran to end the conflict ‌in West Asia.Brent crude futures climbed ‌20 ⁠cents, or 0.2%, to $88.72 by 2350 GMT, ⁠while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures slipped 5 cents to $82.35 a barrel.Both contracts gained more than 5% last week following attacks on tankers ‌operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the Hormuz strait and on a Saudi Aramco refinery.- ReutersAugust 17, 2026 06:37 Trump welcomes defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and PakistanU.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday he was pleased by the recent signing of a defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he wrote, calling it a “BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP.”The three-way agreement, signed August 7, comes amid a U.S.-Iran war that has extended violence to the region, including Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks.- AFP Published - August 17, 2026 06:35 am IST