A New Middle East Power Struggle Is Taking Shape in the Red Sea

OilPrice.com · Editorial Dept · 2026-11-06 12:30 UTC

Saudi Arabia's new defense alliance with Turkey and Pakistan is reshaping regional security calculations as rival powers expand their military presence around the Red Sea and Horn of Africa.

Israel’s security establishment, in a panic of its own design, is referring to the Turkish-led defense bloc forming around Saudi Arabia as a “Sunni ring of fire,” the successor to the Shiite ring Iran built from Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias.

The bloc’s founding document is the Mecca pact, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, with Turkey’s parliament set to ratify this week, just days after Egypt’s parliament voted to let Sisi defend Saudi territory.

For Riyadh, this bloc is intended to defend Saudi oil infrastructure against Houthi missiles and drones, but for Israel, it’s a threat, and Tel Aviv has spent months trying to persuade Washington that Turkey, the bloc’s anchor, belongs on the West’s enemy list. It’s been piling on the pressure, including an airstrike in Syria, an air-defense sale to Greece, Armenian genocide recognition, an embassy on the Gulf of Aden and a campaign on American television to keep Turkey out of the F-35 program.

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