Yemen · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Muhammad Ishaq Dar Says Riyadh Will Host Mecca Agreement Meeting On Houthi Attacks
Riyadh will host emergency meeting of the Mecca Agreement's Defense/Strategic Political Committee. Discuss Houthis' attacks on Saudi Arabia and Iran-proposed political engagement with the group.
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Riyadh emergency talks
Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar said Riyadh will host next week an emergency meeting of the Defense and Strategic Political Committee under the Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense to discuss Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and ways to deal with them. Dar said the committee will discuss a proposal for political engagement with the Houthi group in Yemen instead of resorting to military action, and he said Iran proposed adopting a political approach to solving the crisis. Dar said the proposal does not include a written official offer yet and remains within consultations between the two foreign ministers, with the meeting date to be officially determined later.
Dar said Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense on August 7, pledging to regard any armed attack against one of them as an attack on all of them. Dar said the chiefs of staff of the armies of the three countries met in Riyadh on September 25 and denounced the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
No written offer
Dar told reporters that Iran has proposed engaging politically with the Yemen-based Houthi movement following the attacks it launched, and he said the proposal will be discussed by a committee under the Mecca Agreement at the emergency meeting in Riyadh. Dar said he described the political approach as a goodwill proposal to be discussed as an alternative to “military action,” and he said there is no cohesive written offer yet. Dar said the three members of the agreement, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, will determine the next steps during the meeting, with the date to be announced later.
Dar said more than six countries have expressed interest in joining the agreement, but he clarified that new membership applications can only be considered after the agreement is fully activated, a process that could take a full year. Dar said he informed Tehran of the agreement’s terms and how Pakistan would adhere to them, and he said President Masoud Beshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi want to resolve the matter.
From declarations to mechanisms
The Pakistani army said senior officers strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, expressed solidarity with the Kingdom, and affirmed their commitment to the security of the Islamic holy places. The Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense was described as a defensive framework aimed at protecting member states' national security and countering irregular armed groups, while the agreement states that any armed attack against one of the three constitutes an attack against all of them. The Saudi capital Riyadh was set to host the emergency meeting as the three countries moved toward translating the agreement into practical mechanisms for defense coordination, including intelligence cooperation, military coordination, and integration of capabilities.
The Saudi Civil Defense reported that debris from one intercepted missile falling in Khamis Mushait caused limited material damage to several buildings and vehicles, after recent hours indicated the interception and destruction of two ballistic missiles and four drones launched toward southern Saudi areas. The emergency meeting was framed as carrying political and military implications at local, regional, and international levels, as the alliance sought to immediately translate commitments into effective military cooperation.