Yemen30 September, 20262 min read
Khawaja Muhammad Asif Says Pakistan Will Use Whatever Means To Defend Saudi Arabia Against Houthis
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Pakistan will use any available means to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthis. Asif announced in Rome that Pakistani capabilities would be available to Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan backs Saudi
Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Islamabad will use “whatever means” to defend Saudi Arabia against the Iran-backed Houthis under a new mutual defence pact. Asif told reporters during a visit to Rome that Pakistan’s military capabilities would be available to Saudi Arabia under the arrangement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Asif refused to say whether Pakistani forces had already participated in airstrikes, and he did not say whether Saudi Arabia had requested assistance. Asif framed the commitment as explicit and unequivocal, saying “all capabilities and means will be at the service of Saudi Arabia's national security.”
Houthi pressure on Red Sea
Asif said the Houthis intensified rocket and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and expanded their control along the Red Sea coast in Yemen. Asif said the Houthis recently captured the strategic coastal city of Al-Mukha and several islands in the Red Sea, extending their reach toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Asif said the Houthis attacked Saudi oil facilities in coordination with allied militias in Iraq and sought to prevent Saudi oil tankers from using the strait. Asif described the Houthis as aggressors and said “Any foe of Saudi Arabia is a foe of Pakistan, and that is obvious.”
Mecca defense pact
Saudi Arabia hosted on September 25 a meeting of the chiefs of staff of the states party to the “Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense” with the participation of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey. The meeting discussed intelligence partnership, military coordination, and defense integration, and it condemned the Houthi assaults that targeted critical infrastructure and holy sites.
Asif said Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia was tied to the trilateral mutual defence treaty that brings together Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Asif said the agreement means that when Pakistan is obliged to defend Saudi Arabia, “any means at our disposal will also be available to Saudi Arabia.”