After Iran, US signals major security shift in the Middle East

When President Donald Trump congratulated Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan for signing the Mecca Pact, describing it as a “BIG, BOLD, IMPORTANT FIRST STEP,” he was not simply trafficking in diplomatic pleasantries. The Trump administration also tacitly endorsed a multilateral, Saudi-led maritime initiative to protect shipping in the Red Sea, sending senior U.S. military officials to the meeting where the arrangement was agreed to.The thread running through both initiatives is clear: regional states taking greater responsibility for their own security.Behind Trump’s flattery, something more i