An Analysis of the Makkah Defense Pact
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Note: The recent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early months of 2026, beyond a periodic tension, has acted as a catalyst for a fundamental reconfiguration of the Middle East’s geopolitical order.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an undeniable geopolitical reality, and any military operation aimed at reopening the strait without securing Tehran’s political consent is doomed to failure. Iran has demonstrably proven its dominion over the global energy and fertilizer lifelines. Hormoz Bayani – Economic Affairs Analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Note: The recent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early months of 2026, beyond a periodic tension, has acted as a catalyst for a fundamental reconfiguration of the Middle East’s geopolitical order.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an undeniable geopolitical reality, and any military operation aimed at reopening the strait without securing Tehran’s political consent is doomed to failure. Iran has demonstrably proven its dominion over the global energy and fertilizer lifelines. Hormoz Bayani – Economic Affairs Analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Note: The recent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early months of 2026, beyond a periodic tension, has acted as a catalyst for a fundamental reconfiguration of the Middle East’s geopolitical order.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an undeniable geopolitical reality, and any military operation aimed at reopening the strait without securing Tehran’s political consent is doomed to failure. Iran has demonstrably proven its dominion over the global energy and fertilizer lifelines. Hormoz Bayani – Economic Affairs Analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Note: The recent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early months of 2026, beyond a periodic tension, has acted as a catalyst for a fundamental reconfiguration of the Middle East’s geopolitical order.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an undeniable geopolitical reality, and any military operation aimed at reopening the strait without securing Tehran’s political consent is doomed to failure. Iran has demonstrably proven its dominion over the global energy and fertilizer lifelines. Hormoz Bayani – Economic Affairs Analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Note: The recent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early months of 2026, beyond a periodic tension, has acted as a catalyst for a fundamental reconfiguration of the Middle East’s geopolitical order.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an undeniable geopolitical reality, and any military operation aimed at reopening the strait without securing Tehran’s political consent is doomed to failure. Iran has demonstrably proven its dominion over the global energy and fertilizer lifelines. Hormoz Bayani – Economic Affairs Analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Note: The recent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early months of 2026, beyond a periodic tension, has acted as a catalyst for a fundamental reconfiguration of the Middle East’s geopolitical order.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an undeniable geopolitical reality, and any military operation aimed at reopening the strait without securing Tehran’s political consent is doomed to failure. Iran has demonstrably proven its dominion over the global energy and fertilizer lifelines. Hormoz Bayani – Economic Affairs Analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online – Note: By disregarding Iran’s deterrence capabilities and political economy leverage in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington has reached a strategic deadlock from which military means are unable to extricate it.
Strategic Council Online – Guest Note: The recent military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early months of 2026, beyond a periodic tension, has acted as a catalyst for a fundamental reconfiguration of the Middle East’s geopolitical order.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Only one month after the beginning of the Ramadan War, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz decreased dramatically, with Bloomberg announcing a reduction of 103 vessels; Brent oil prices rose by more than 50 percent, and gasoline prices in the United States increased by 31.4 percent. Additionally, benchmark gas prices in Europe showed a 73.4 percent increase.
SCFR Online – Note: Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an undeniable geopolitical reality, and any military operation aimed at reopening the strait without securing Tehran’s political consent is doomed to failure. Iran has demonstrably proven its dominion over the global energy and fertilizer lifelines. Hormoz Bayani – Economic Affairs Analyst
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.