After relying on an unreliable Trump for defense, suspending normalization talks with Israel, and losing access to the Bab-al-Mandab Strait, Saudi Arabia turns to hesitant allies for help.

The new defense agreement among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan highlights how Israeli aggression is compelling the region to reconfigure its alliances and serves as the latest evidence of the United States’ declining global influence.

Israel’s strategic posture favors a constant state of war over political deals that might constrain future aggression. Its recognition of Somaliland is part of this strategy, and an attempt to plant the first flag of its would-be empire in Africa.