Trump Welcomes Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Defense Pact; Hormuz Traffic Drops

US President Donald Trump has welcomed the defense pact signed earlier this month between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated: "It shows how the Middle East is coming together and how countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way." These remarks come amid heightened regional tensions. According to shipping data from Kpler, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply following recent attacks on tankers, with no commodity vessels registered for transit on Sunday. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Iran has spent the last 60 days ramping up missile and drone production and appointing hardline figures to key positions. Analysts in Tehran have suggested that there is a widespread view within Iran that the main war has not yet begun.