Turkey and Pakistan have agreed to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Alliance, a multilateral security pact that some analysts call "Islamic NATO." The move represents the grouping's first combat test, as Saudi Arabia and its allies press on with military action against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

Qatar has cautioned that the wider conflict with Iran is placing a burden on the entire world. Mediation efforts are still in progress, but no ceasefire has been announced. The Mecca Alliance agreement points to a turning point toward coordinated defence efforts among several Muslim-majority states in the region.