Pakistan Pledges Military Support to Defend Saudi Arabia
Pakistan will use all available means to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels under a mutual defense pact with Turkey.
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced that Pakistan will use whatever means are available to defend Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Speaking in Rome on September 30, Asif stated that this commitment is based on the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a mutual defense pact signed on August 7 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The agreement stipulates that an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all three.
The pledge follows a meeting of army chiefs from the three nations in Riyadh to coordinate responses to intensified Houthi missile and drone attacks. These operations included the capture of several Red Sea islands and the strategic port city of Mokha in Yemen. Asif characterized the Houthis as aggressors and declared that any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan.
While Asif declined to confirm whether Pakistani forces have already participated in airstrikes against Iranian operators in Yemen, he emphasized the risks of regional escalation. Despite the military posture, Pakistan continues to press for negotiations to end the broader conflict involving Iran and supports reviving agreements regarding Tehran's nuclear program.
