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Saudi Arabia Turkiye Pakistan Plan Urgent Military Chiefs Meeting on Yemen — AI-generated representative image: Diplomatic discussions among officials following trilateral defence coordination talks on Yemen.

Editorial Team

Three nations move to activate the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement as Houthi cross-border attacks and clashes inside Yemen escalate.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan announced on Thursday that they are planning an urgent meeting of their military chiefs of staff to discuss ways to support the kingdom under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The move follows a meeting in New York between the three countries' foreign ministers, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The announcement came as Saudi Arabia reported intercepting six ballistic missiles launched from Yemen toward Taif and Yanbu, and as France separately offered defensive military support to protect Yanbu.

The diplomatic and military coordination reflects a sharp escalation in the conflict, with renewed cross-border missile fire coinciding with some of the heaviest fighting inside Yemen since hostilities intensified. The developments carry wider economic stakes because Houthi territorial gains now extend toward the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a vital shipping corridor through which roughly 12 percent of global trade normally passes.

Diplomatic and Military Coordination

The foreign ministers' meeting in New York brought together 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. The statement did not specify when the military chiefs would meet or what form of support could be considered.

Thursday's meeting also condemned attacks targeting Mecca as well as civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, and affirmed the kingdom's right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Separately, Major-General Turki al-Malki, the coalition spokesman, said further Houthi escalation would be "dealt with firmly."

Origins of the Defence Pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 to strengthen collective deterrence and expand defence cooperation. The pact stipulates that an attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on them all.

The three countries have since begun establishing mechanisms under the agreement. Their foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs met in Istanbul on August 31 for the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, where they agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and to deepen military cooperation.

Casualties and Displacement

Fighting across several fronts in Yemen killed at least 150 Houthi fighters and members of government-aligned forces in the 24 hours leading into Friday, according to a tally by the AFP news agency. The toll included 98 fighters on the government side and 52 from the Houthis, with clashes reported around the Kahboub Mountains and areas between Lahj and Taiz overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Yemen's Vice President Abdullah Abdulkader Al Alimi-Bawzer accused the Houthis of using freedom of navigation as leverage, saying their actions were "taking hostage the entire global economy." The renewed fighting has forced more than 230,000 people from their homes since the beginning of September, according to UNHCR, adding to about 5.2 million people already internally displaced across Yemen.

What Lies Ahead

Saudi Civil Defence authorities issued alerts in several areas before later saying the danger had passed. The Houthis separately claimed missile and drone attacks on a "sensitive target" in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. France's President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would send soldiers, radars and defence systems to help protect Yanbu. The date and agenda for the three countries' chiefs of staff meeting remain unannounced.