Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan activate defense pact amid Houthi barrage

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan met Thursday under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and announced plans for an urgent chiefs-of-staff meeting to coordinate support for the kingdom, as Yemen's Houthi rebels launched their most intense wave of missile and drone attacks in years.internazionale

The Saudi foreign ministry said the ministers condemned attacks targeting Mecca and other civilian sites, affirmed Saudi Arabia's right to self-defense, and agreed to arrange a military-level meeting under the pact, which stipulates that "an attack against any one of the parties constitutes an attack against all parties".internazionale

A Pact Under Pressure

Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis on Thursday, after issuing emergency alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, and the Red Sea oil port of Yanbu. The Houthis claimed they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets.newindianexpress+1

Yet despite the language of collective defense, both Turkey and Pakistan have shown limited appetite for entering the fight. Turkey offered only "technical" assistance, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan telling NTV that Saudi Arabia "may have some military needs, especially on some technical issues". Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called ties with Riyadh "even stronger" but announced no new deployments. Some Pakistani officials have argued the Yemen conflict predates the August 7 pact and may fall outside its scope.washingtontimes

The Houthis warned both countries to stay out. Yahya Ali al-Ra'i, speaker of the Houthi parliament, wrote to his Pakistani and Turkish counterparts urging them to press Riyadh to end its war and blockade on Yemen. A member of the group's political bureau said Turkey and Pakistan would face an "iron fist" if they entered the conflict.washingtontimes

Washington Steps Back, Iran Seeks Distance

The meeting came as the Trump administration signaled it would not intervene directly. Washington has reportedly offered intelligence support and approved F-35 sales to Riyadh but told the Saudis the Houthi fight is theirs. "This just confirms that America is not here to defend us," said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political science professor in the UAE.aei+1

Hours after the trilateral announcement, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to distance Tehran from the Houthis in a Fox News interview, saying "the Houthis are responsible for their own actions". Iran's foreign minister said Tehran had conveyed a proposal to Washington via intermediaries under which the Strait of Hormuz would reopen if hostilities ended on all fronts within seven days and sanctions were lifted.internazionale

Civilian Toll Mounts

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Thursday he was "appalled" at the humanitarian toll, reporting that at least 32 civilians — including 15 children — have been killed since August. His office documented three Houthi attacks on displaced-person camps in Marib province. More than 130,000 people have been displaced, a figure the UN expects could reach 230,000 in coming months.thestandard

"The people of Yemen cannot withstand another full-scale conflict," Turk said.thestandard