Yemen · updated 4h ago · 3 min read
Türkiye Condemns Yemen’s Houthis for Attacks Targeting Saudi Arabia, Foreign Ministry Says
Türkiye condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as endangering civilians and raising tensions. Mecca Defence Alliance could activate to defend Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes.
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11 of 12 outlets skipped it: france 24 says Saudi threatened to hit back after missiles set oil facilities ablaze.
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Houthis Strike Saudi, Ankara Condemns
Türkiye condemned Yemen’s Houthis for attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, saying the strikes “disregard the safety of civilians and escalate tensions in the region,” according to the Foreign Ministry statement carried by Anadolu Ajansı.
““We condemn in the strongest terms the recent attacks carried out by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia”
Ankara said it “reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and added that the attacks undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict in Yemen through a lasting political solution.
The same condemnation was echoed in a Reuters-syndicated report by A News, which said Türkiye called on the Houthis to “immediately halt their hostile actions” and argued the attacks “damage diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Yemen with a lasting political solution.”
The France 24 report framed the Saudi response as a threat to hit back after missiles from Yemen’s Houthis set oil facilities ablaze and wounded dozens, describing it as the Iran-backed rebels’ heaviest attack in years.
In the background of the regional escalation, the L’Orient Today report said fighting resumed in Yemen in July and that more than 500 people have been killed and 20,000 displaced, while more than 70 civilians were wounded in Saudi Arabia.
Mecca Pact Threatens Wider Response
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could activate the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, telling Geo News that “definitely the Mecca agreement will become operational” if there is “unprovoked aggression” or spillover into Saudi territory.
Asif also said “There should be no doubt about that. We are bound by the terms and conditions of this pact, and … we will honour them in case there is a need,” as carried by Al Jazeera.
Geo News coverage in the Express Tribune reported Asif said there should be “no ambiguity” that an attack on any one country of the Makkah Defence Alliance would be considered an attack on all three, and warned of activation after attacks on the kingdom.
The Express Tribune said the attacks injured at least 73 civilians and targeted cities and economic infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia, while Pakistan condemned strikes on Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.
France 24’s report described Saudi Arabia threatening to hit back after the missile wave, and said it came after a four-year truce collapsed in July.
Deadlock, Diplomacy, and Escalation Risks
As the hostilities widened, Al Jazeera reported that Yemen’s Houthi group carried out attacks in southern Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh saying at least 73 people were wounded, while fighting escalates in Yemen between the Iran-aligned group and forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
““yet to be clarified””
Al Jazeera also reported that on Wednesday, the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said Saudi Arabian warplanes carried out air strikes across Yemen’s Marib, al-Jawf and Taiz governorates, including five air strikes targeting the Khab wa Sha’af district in al-Jawf.
In the same Al Jazeera account, the Mecca agreement was described as mirroring a NATO stipulation that a strike on any single member is to be considered a strike on the entire group, while the precise mechanisms for implementing the pledge were said to be “yet to be clarified.”
L’Orient Today said the escalation effectively ended an informal truce that had held since 2022, and described the Houthi offensive as aimed at shifting the balance of power within Yemen while reflecting broader regional tensions.
In parallel, Ankara’s statements tied the attacks to the conflict in Yemen, with Anadolu Ajansı saying the attacks “undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict in Yemen through a lasting political solution.”