About this episode
Is last week's signing of a landmark mutual defense agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan a further signal of global geopolitical realignment?
On this special extended episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman and Middle East expert and GPF contributor Kamran Bokhari join host Christian Smith for a deep dive into the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement and how it shifts the balance of power across the Middle East and beyond.
Also: GPF Chief Geoeconomist Antonia Colibasanu discusses this month's Geoeconomic Lens, and the future of sanctions and the war in Ukraine.
Dr. Bokhari is a Senior Resident Fellow with the Middle East Policy Council and a Senior Director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy & Policy in Washington, DC.
Episode recorded on August 11, 2026.
Learn more about GeoEconomic Lens and access the first issue for free at https://geopoliticalfutures.com/lens/introducing-lens/.
Get every episode summarized
Each time Talking Geopolitics publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Talking Geopolitics
Germany's AfD and the Return of European Nationalism
Talking Geopolitics
CIA in Moscow, Hybrid Threats, and the Limits of Russian Escalation
Talking Geopolitics
Xi Jinping's Military Gamble and a "Critical Moment" for US-China Relations
Talking Geopolitics
Information Warfare in the Age of AI and Anonymity
Talking Geopolitics