Riyadh: Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are arranging an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss support for Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks from Yemen intensify, adding to growing security concerns across the region.
The meeting will take place under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by the three countries on August 7. The agreement provides for closer defence cooperation and states that an armed attack against one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three.
Saudi Arabia announced the planned military meeting after a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks. Saudi authorities said their air defences intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis on September 24, thwarting attempts to target Taif and Yanbu.
The Houthis have also claimed that they launched missile and drone attacks against a sensitive target in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. The claims have not been independently verified, and Saudi authorities have not confirmed that the reported attacks caused damage to the facilities.
The latest developments have raised concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia's major cities and energy infrastructure. Yanbu is a major industrial and oil centre on the Red Sea. Its energy infrastructure is particularly important because the port provides an alternative route for some Saudi oil exports when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.
The move by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan follows a meeting between their foreign ministers in New York on September 24 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed regional security and arrangements for the meeting of military chiefs.
It remains unclear what form any military support from Türkiye or Pakistan could take. No decision has been announced on the deployment of troops or the transfer of specific weapons or defence systems. The timing of the military chiefs' meeting has also not been publicly specified.
France has separately announced defensive support for Saudi Arabia. French President Emmanuel Macron said France would send military resources, including soldiers, radar systems and defence equipment, to help protect Yanbu. Macron said the deployment was intended to protect the site and not to involve France in the wider conflict.
The developments come as fighting has also intensified inside Yemen. The Houthis have expanded their presence along parts of the country's western coast and towards the Bab al Mandab Strait, one of the world's important maritime routes linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The internationally recognised Yemeni government has been conducting counteroffensive operations on several fronts as the conflict continues.
The renewed fighting has also worsened Yemen's humanitarian crisis. United Nations agencies have reported more than 100,000 people newly displaced since the latest escalation began in September, adding to the country's long running displacement crisis.
The United Nations Security Council has condemned Houthi attacks affecting Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure. It has also expressed concern about attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and around the Bab al Mandab Strait.
The latest escalation has also affected energy markets. Oil prices rose after the September 24 attacks, adding to concerns over energy supplies. However, the movement in oil prices is linked to several factors, including the wider regional conflict, disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over diplomatic efforts involving Iran.
Iran has long been aligned with the Houthi movement, but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sought to distance Tehran from the group's individual military decisions. In an interview on September 24, Pezeshkian said the Houthis were responsible for their own actions.
The extent of Iran's direct role in individual Houthi attacks remains disputed. Iran has provided political and military support to the Houthis, while Tehran has rejected responsibility for the group's military decisions.
Saudi Arabia has also seen a broader pattern of Houthi attacks during September. Earlier attacks targeted areas including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran. Saudi authorities said on September 14 that Houthi missile and drone attacks had injured 13 civilians and damaged seven houses and two vehicles.
The latest attacks have brought the focus closer to Riyadh and major energy facilities along the Red Sea. They have also increased pressure on Saudi Arabia to strengthen its air defences and seek wider regional cooperation.
For now, the most immediate development is the planned meeting between Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs. What decisions will emerge from that meeting, and whether they will lead to a broader military response, remains unclear.