Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have announced plans for an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff to discuss support for Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. This announcement followed a meeting on Thursday in New York between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. The statement did not specify when the military chiefs would convene or what support might be considered.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and expand defense cooperation among the three nations, stating that an attack on one is considered an attack on all. Since then, mechanisms under the pact have been established, with the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee occurring on August 31 in Istanbul, where a secretariat was agreed to be set up in Saudi Arabia to deepen military cooperation.
During Thursday’s meeting, the foreign ministers condemned attacks targeting Mecca and civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia, affirming the kingdom’s right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter. This diplomatic activity comes as Saudi Arabia reported a new wave of attacks from Yemen, including the interception of six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu.
Major-General Turki al-Malki, the coalition spokesman, stated that any further Houthi escalation would be addressed firmly. The Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks on a sensitive target in Riyadh and on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. France has also offered military support to Saudi Arabia, with President Emmanuel Macron announcing the deployment of military assets, including soldiers and defense systems, to protect Yanbu.
The cross-border attacks coincide with significant fighting inside Yemen, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 150 Houthi fighters and government-aligned forces in the 24 hours leading up to Friday, according to an AFP tally. This includes 98 fighters from the government side and 52 from the Houthis, with clashes reported around the Kahboub Mountains and areas between Lahj and Taiz.
The Houthis have expanded their presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, capturing the port city of Mocha and strategic islands, which has strengthened their position around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial shipping corridor. Yemen’s internationally recognized government has called for increased international involvement, warning that Houthi control around the strait poses a broader economic risk. Vice President Abdullah Abdulkader Al Alimi-Bawzer accused the Houthis of leveraging freedom of navigation, stating their actions threaten the global economy.
The renewed fighting has displaced over 230,000 people since early September, adding to the 5.2 million already internally displaced in Yemen, according to UNHCR. Families have been uprooted across several governorates, with urgent needs for shelter, food, clean water, healthcare, and protection services as host communities and displacement sites become increasingly strained.