Iran16 September, 20262 min read
Saudi, Turkey, Pakistan Military Chiefs Meet in Riyadh to Implement Mecca Agreement After Houthi Attacks
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Senior chiefs of Saudi, Pakistan, Turkey meet in Riyadh to discuss Mecca Agreement implementation Meeting aims to strengthen collective defense and deterrence against Houthi attacks
Mecca Pact, Iran in focus
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan held a high-ranking military meeting in Riyadh within the framework of the Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense, with the Saudi Ministry of Defense saying the heads of the general staffs discussed security developments and threats facing the Kingdom. The Saudi Ministry of Defense said the parties condemned the attacks that targeted Mecca and civilian infrastructure in the Kingdom, and the parties affirmed their commitment to immediately begin translating the Mecca Agreement into effective military cooperation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Mecca Agreement for Collective Defense should not be evaluated as a pact formed against Iran, Israel, or any third country, and he said Turkey wanted to enhance security and increase deterrence capacity. Erdogan said the Mecca Agreement, signed on August 7 of the past year, is based on Article 51 of the UN Charter concerning the right of collective self-defense, and the agreement stipulates that any armed attack targeting one of the three states is considered an attack directed against all parties.
Houthis test the pacts
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan prepared for an urgent meeting of their military chiefs after a fresh wave of Houthi attacks on the kingdom, with the planned talks held under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Saudi authorities said their air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles fired towards Taif and Yanbu on Thursday, and Major-General Turki al-Malki warned that any further Houthi escalation would be “dealt with firmly”.
The Houthis claimed to have carried out missile and drone attacks against what they called a “sensitive target” in Riyadh and facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco in Yanbu, while the Houthis said they would keep hitting Saudi bases, naming King Khalid Air Base and King Fahd Air Base. The fighting inside Yemen intensified as at least 150 fighters from the Houthi and government-aligned forces were killed in the 24 hours before Friday, according to AFP, including 98 fighters from the government side and 52 Houthis.
Pakistan presses Iran, pledges force
Pakistan’s Army chief Asim Munir urged Iran to curb the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, with the Financial Times reporting that Munir traveled to Tehran in August to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other Iranian leaders. The Financial Times quoted a Pakistani official familiar with the talks saying: “ Iran says this is a Saudi-Yemen dispute... but it also seems that this escalation serves Iran’s policy in the region.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “Pakistan is committed to implementing its defense agreements with Saudi Arabia,” and he added that “when, how, where, and what force will be used against any targets... and other matters requiring operational secrecy, require us to maintain a degree of discretion at this stage.” Pakistan’s army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Arab News that Pakistan will go to “any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia, and he said Pakistan is already deployed to protect the kingdom and Islam’s two holiest sites, in Mecca and Medina.