The New ‘Mecca Alliance’ Warns Iran Over Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

A senior EU energy-security source told OilPrice.com that commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran ordered the 8 September strikes on Saudi Arabia and that IRGC personnel on the ground in Yemen helped coordinate the operation, despite Tehran’s official denial of control over the Houthis. The disclosure comes amid the recent formation of the Makkah Defence Alliance — a Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani pact modelled on NATO’s collective-defence principle — which Riyadh says is intended to deter further attacks.

By AI NewsroomPublished about 8 hours agoUpdated about 8 hours ago0 views

Why It Matters

If the IRGC directly directed Houthi strikes, the attacks represent an escalation linking Tehran to cross-border assaults that threaten regional energy flows. The emergence of the Makkah Defence Alliance signals a regional attempt to fill perceived gaps in U.S. protection and could reshape security calculations around key maritime chokepoints and global oil markets.

Key Facts

Alleged IRGC role: Senior EU energy-security source told OilPrice.com that senior IRGC commanders in Tehran ordered the 8 September attacks and IRGC officers on the ground in Yemen coordinated strikes.
Tehran's public stance: Iran has reiterated that it 'does not control the Houthis [in Yemen]'.
Makkah Defence Alliance formation: Formally established on 7 August and composed of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
Alliance model: Explicitly modelled around NATO's Article 5 collective-defence principle.
Member contributions: Saudi Arabia: financing and regional intelligence; Turkey: military hardware, defence tech, artillery and drone production; Pakistan: large frontline military and nuclear capabilities.

A source within the European Union’s energy-security community told OilPrice.com that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ordered the 8 September strikes on Saudi Arabia and that IRGC personnel in Yemen helped coordinate the action. The comment directly challenges Tehran’s publicly stated position that it does not control the Houthis, with the EU source adding that the IRGC has long funded, armed, trained and frequently advised the group in high-profile missile strikes.

The Makkah Defence Alliance, formally announced on 7 August, brings together Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan and is explicitly modelled on the mutual-defence clause in NATO’s Article 5. Riyadh is said to supply deep financing and regional intelligence links, Ankara contributes advanced hardware and defence-production capabilities including artillery and drones, and Islamabad offers substantial conventional forces and nuclear weapons. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that Pakistan’s 'full military capabilities' would be available under the defence agreements, while officials later clarified the pact is defensive and conventional in intent.

Analysts say the pact’s timing reflects Gulf states’ dissatisfaction with their reliance on U.S. security guarantees after years of missile and drone attacks linked to Iran or its proxies across the region. The source cited the Houthi attacks on Saudi facilities in September 2019 — including Abqaiq and Khurais — which temporarily removed about 5.7 million barrels per day from global supply and produced the largest single-day oil price jump to that time, as a catalyst for Riyadh’s pursuit of a regional deterrent.

Beyond immediate security concerns, the EU source warned the success of the 8 September strikes makes further operations likely unless the new alliance can deter them. He argued Iran can use such attacks to pressure the U.S., citing Washington’s sensitivity to oil-price spikes ahead of the 3 November mid-term elections. The source also highlighted broader energy-risks: disruption in the Strait of Hormuz (historically channeling roughly 30% of the world’s oil and about 20% of LNG) and potential Houthi pressure on the Bab el-Mandeb (which has carried up to about 12% of global oil and 10% of LNG) could produce sharp price shocks. Separately, an OilPrice.com source close to Iraq’s oil ministry said Pakistan relayed a Riyadh warning to Tehran, urging the IRGC to prevent further Houthi attacks on Saudi territory.