Saudi Arabia Coordinates Military Response to Houthi Attacks
Saudi Arabia is convening military chiefs from Turkey and Pakistan to coordinate a response to Houthi missile and drone strikes under a mutual defense pact.
The Government of Saudi Arabia is coordinating an urgent meeting of military chiefs with Turkey and Pakistan to address intensifying Houthi missile and drone attacks originating from Yemen. The coordination follows recent strikes on civilian and economic facilities, including the city of Makkah, and the interception of six ballistic missiles that triggered emergency alerts in Jeddah, Yanbu, and Makkah.
These actions fall under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed in August, which stipulates that an attack on one member state is an attack on all. On September 25, foreign ministers from the three nations met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly to condemn the attacks and affirm Saudi Arabia's right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The ministers discussed establishing a General Secretariat and working groups to formalize the alliance.
Turkey's Chief of General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroğlu, is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia for the talks. However, Turkish officials noted that support remains bilateral because the Turkish parliament has not yet ratified the defense pact. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to distance Tehran from the conflict during his address at the UN General Assembly, stating that the Houthis were responsible for their own actions.
