Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are preparing an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss ways to support Riyadh as attacks by Yemen’s Houthis intensify.
The planned meeting follows discussions between the three countries’ foreign ministers in New York and will be held under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which stipulates that an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all three.
The ministers condemned attacks targeting Makkah and other civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia while affirming the kingdom’s right to defend itself.
The development comes after the Houthis claimed to have launched dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets on Thursday. Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and the Red Sea port area of Yanbu.
Saudi authorities had also issued emergency alerts for areas including Makkah, Jeddah and Yanbu as the attacks intensified.
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan, separately called on troops to remain prepared to fight the Houthis and defend the kingdom’s territory.
The planned military meeting is expected to examine possible forms of support for Saudi Arabia under the defence agreement. Turkey’s Chief of General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday for talks with his Saudi and Pakistani counterparts.
Turkey has previously indicated that it could assist Saudi Arabia with military needs, particularly technical support, although Ankara has also stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts to contain the crisis.
The latest developments have raised questions over how far Turkey and Pakistan could become directly involved in the conflict. The three countries have been working to establish the institutional structures needed to implement the Makkah agreement since it was signed.
The Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia while fighting has also escalated inside Yemen. The group has targeted the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and expanded its presence along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, increasing concerns over shipping and energy supplies.
The attacks have also disrupted Saudi oil flows and increased pressure on alternative export routes as wider regional tensions continue to affect shipping through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iran has sought to distance itself from the Houthis’ actions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Houthis were responsible for their own decisions, as diplomatic efforts continued to ease the wider conflict.
The planned meeting between the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs could therefore become an important step in determining how the three countries will respond to the latest escalation under their joint defence framework.
Ojo Triumph
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