Pakistan, Turkiye edge closer towards joining Saudi war against Houthis

Saudi Arabia has summoned the military chiefs of Turkey and Pakistan to Riyadh for urgent talks on implementing the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, according to Al Jazeera. Turkey's defence ministry confirmed General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu will travel to the Saudi capital; Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir is also expected to attend though Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations office had not confirmed his departure.

The meeting follows intensified Houthi attacks that Riyadh says have targeted Mecca, Jeddah, Yanbu and other locations. The Houthis reported firing dozens of missiles and drones and claimed a strike on a "sensitive target" in Riyadh and on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Saudi authorities said air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu and issued emergency alerts for Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu.

Diplomatic steps leading to the chiefs-of-staff meeting began with a September 24 discussion in New York between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Riyadh described that discussion as arranging an urgent meeting to explore support under the pact and cited the kingdom’s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Pakistan and Turkey gave more measured accounts, focusing on technical negotiations and institutional steps to implement the agreement.

Analysts and officials point to constraints on immediate troop deployments. Observers note Pakistan's military is dealing with multiple security pressures including border clashes and internal militant attacks, while Turkey has NATO commitments and concerns about its Syria border. The Iran-backed Houthi movement has also warned both countries that intervention would be met with force. Separately, the Houthis have made territorial gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including seizing the port city of Mocha and gaining control over stretches of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, developments that heighten Riyadh's strategic concerns.

Saudi religious and political leaders have voiced urgency about the threat. The kingdom's Grand Mufti and King Salman have publicly condemned Houthi strikes and framed defence as a duty, underscoring Riyadh's push to turn the Mecca pact into operational support amid a widening confrontation that touches regional maritime routes and energy infrastructure.