Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani chiefs plan urgent defence talks amid Yemen attacks

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan have announced plans for an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff to discuss support for the kingdom under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The move comes after Saudi Arabia reported a fresh wave of attacks from Yemen, including missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu. The announcement followed a meeting on Thursday in New York between the three countries' foreign ministers.

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According to the Saudi Press Agency, the meeting 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 say when the military chiefs would meet or what form of support could be considered. It also said the three countries have begun setting up mechanisms under the pact, which they signed on August 7.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement says an attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on all of them. Saudi Arabia said its air defences shot down six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu on Thursday. Major-General Turki al-Malki, the coalition spokesman, said further Houthi escalation would be dealt with firmly.

Saudi Civil Defence authorities issued alerts in several areas before later saying the danger had passed. The diplomatic response underlines the significance of the pact, which was designed to strengthen collective deterrence and expand defence cooperation. The three countries also held their first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul on August 31, where they agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and deepen military cooperation.

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Thursday's foreign ministers' meeting also condemned attacks targeting Mecca and civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, and affirmed the kingdom's right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The latest developments come as cross-border attacks from Yemen continue to shape regional security calculations. The Houthis separately claimed missile and drone attacks on a sensitive target in Riyadh and on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.

France has also offered defensive support to Saudi Arabia, with President Emmanuel Macron saying Paris would send military assets, including soldiers, radars and defence systems, to protect Yanbu. What remains unclear is when the chiefs of staff will meet and whether the talks will produce any concrete military or logistical support. It is also not clear how the three governments will interpret the pact in practice if attacks continue.

For now, the focus is on whether the new defence mechanism can move quickly from political agreement to operational coordination.

#SaudiArabia #Turkiye #Pakistan #Yemen #MeccaJointDefenceAgreement

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