Pakistan, Saudi, Turkey deepen military cooperation after Houthi attacks

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed on Friday to move from the August Mecca Joint Defence Agreement to immediate military cooperation, after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia disrupted oil shipments and targeted the holy city of Mecca, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) carried by Independent Urdu.

The chiefs of staff of the three armed forces met in Riyadh and reviewed the security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia. They expressed grave concern over attacks on Mecca and Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure, the ISPR said.

The agreement, signed on 7 August 2026, states that an armed attack on one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all. Friday's meeting discussed ways to expand cooperation, share intelligence, improve military coordination and combine capabilities to strengthen deterrence and collective defence, the military's media wing added. Participants reiterated their commitment to defend Saudi Arabia's security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Express News that Pakistan raised the issue of non-state actors active in the region during a meeting with the Iranian president. He said Pakistan believes these groups must be neutralised because their actions damage peace efforts in the region. The Iranian president reacted positively and agreed that continued tension harms the public in all countries; Iranian leadership also spoke of talking to the Houthi militia, but practical progress will depend on future steps, Asif said.

Khawaja Asif added that the Mecca agreement binds Pakistan to side with Saudi Arabia in case of any aggression, and that responding to Houthi attacks is the responsibility of all three signatory states. The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey had met a day earlier in New York, where they condemned attacks on Mecca and other civilian sites and affirmed Saudi Arabia's right to self-defence, Independent Urdu reported.