The agreement commits the three countries to collective defence, bringing together NATO’s second-largest army. There is no doubt that the pact aims to counter Iran’s influence, but from Jerusalem’s perspective it is nonetheless an unfavourable development

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait. The other fronts in the war in the Middle East, which stretches from the Strait of Hormuz to the Mediterranean, with a map

Pro-Shia Iraqi militias had launched drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities for two days running, and Riyadh had already warned Baghdad to ensure that its country did not become a launchpad for these attacks, otherwise it would face the consequences. And so it proved

The agreement would allow US companies to help Saudi Arabia develop a civil nuclear industry. According to some sources, however, the deal would exclude IAEA oversight