Key Facts

• Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey plan to sign a defense pact in Jeddah on Friday.
• The meeting will include Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
• The agreement comes during rising tensions and conflicts in the Middle East region.
• Recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels injured at least 11 civilians in Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border.
• The Houthis also claimed attacks that killed at least 30 Yemeni government troops and injured about 50.
• The Yemeni conflict is ongoing, with Iran-backed Houthi forces fighting the internationally recognized government.
• US President Donald Trump expects the war involving Iran to end soon.
• Israel and Lebanon remain in conflict, with Israel continuing strikes and peace talks occurring without full agreement on troop withdrawals.