Pakistan vows to deploy any means to defend Saudi Arabia under Mecca pact

Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, declared that Islamabad will mobilise any resources it can to defend Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks, invoking the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed with Turkey and Saudi Arabia. He stopped short of confirming whether Pakistani forces have already taken part in strikes against Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. The remarks followed a recent meeting of Turkish, Pakistani and Saudi military chiefs in Riyadh, where they agreed to deepen cooperation under the pact.

The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory and maritime routes, recently seizing the port of Mokha and threatening the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Saudi air defences have intercepted multiple projectiles aimed at cities such as Riyadh, Taif and Yanbu. The trilateral pact, likened to NATO's Article 5, pledges collective defence but does not name a specific adversary.