Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could activate defence pact, Pakistan says

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says agreement between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia may be activated if Yemen’s Houthis continue targeting the kingdom.Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said any attack on Saudi Arabia could activate the recently signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, days after Yemen’s Houthis launched a barrage of missiles at the kingdom.“If there is unprovoked aggression, or a spillover of whatever is happening in Yemen into Saudi Arabia, definitely the Mecca agreement will become operational,” he told Pakistani media outlet Geo News on Tuesday night.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Yemen fighting escalates as forces battle for Bab al-Mandeb Straitlist 2 of 3Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of killing seven in Yemen prison air strikelist 3 of 3Yemeni forces launch counteroffensive against Houthis, vow to retake Sanaaend of list“There should be no doubt about that. We are bound by the terms and conditions of this pact, and … we will honour them in case there is a need.”Yemen’s Houthi group on Tuesday carried out attacks in southern Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh saying that at least 73 people were wounded, as fighting escalates in Yemen between the Iran-aligned group and forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan last month signed the Mecca agreement, committing to reinforce collective deterrence against any aggression.The agreement mirrors a key NATO stipulation – a strike on any single member is to be considered a strike on the entire group, though the precise mechanisms for implementing this pledge have yet to be clarified.The deal was agreed as the three nations grapple with heightened regional frictions, including worries over Israel’s expanding military capabilities and Iran’s growing influence across the Middle East.Combined, the three states field close to 1.4 million active troops, some 3,400 military aircraft, 6,000 tanks and more than 340 naval assets, according to the 2026 Global Firepower Index, which assesses the military strength of 145 countries.