05/10/2026
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05/10/2026
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RIYADH, Oct 5 : Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye on Monday moved to implement collective-defense commitments under their Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, including the rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia, following attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Makkah Alliance for Defense in Riyadh. The three countries condemned what they described as attacks targeting Makkah and Medina, as well as Saudi cities and civilian and economic facilities, and reaffirmed that the security of each member is part of the collective security of the alliance.
The committee agreed to move immediately to the practical implementation of the alliance's collective-defense commitments and to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities for rapid deployment in the Kingdom, subject to the approved arrangements and national legislation of the three countries. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman separately said the alliance had agreed to activate “collective deterrence measures” in response to the attacks and those responsible for them.
The move comes as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis, seeking to retake territory along the Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
Reuters reported that government forces advanced to the outskirts of Mokha and captured key positions, including an airstrip in Dhubab district. Yemen’s Defense Ministry said Mokha had fallen, although Reuters said it could not independently verify the full extent of the reported gains. The Houthis rejected the government’s claims.
Saudi Arabia is providing air support for the offensive. Riyadh said its forces had struck hundreds of Houthi targets while providing air cover for Yemeni ground forces and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait. The strategic waterway is a major shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The fighting has intensified as the Houthis continue to hold large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, while also launching missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory. The renewed conflict has also raised concerns over the security of commercial shipping through the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab.
The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye in August. It states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three and calls for enhanced defense cooperation.
The latest decision marks the first major move to put the trilateral defense framework into practical operation amid the escalating conflict.
