Pakistan, Türkiye Could Respond to Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia, Khawaja Asif Says
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said a tripartite defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye could become operational in response to aggression against the kingdom, following major Houthi attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure.
Speaking during a television interview, Asif said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement binds the three countries to assist one another and treats aggression against any one member as aggression against all three.
“There is no ambiguity about that,” Asif said, according to reporting on his remarks.
The defence minister stressed that Pakistan would honour its obligations under the agreement and said Islamabad’s position regarding Saudi Arabia’s security remained clear.
Makkah Defence Pact Could Become Operational
Asif’s comments raise the possibility that the recently established trilateral defence framework could face its first major regional security test.
The agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye is designed to strengthen collective deterrence and defence cooperation among the three countries.
Pakistan’s government said in late August that a Strategic Political and Defence Committee had been established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, with senior foreign, defence and military officials from all three countries participating in its inaugural meeting in Istanbul.
Asif said the agreement obliges the three states to assist one another if one is subjected to aggression.
His comments, however, do not amount to an announcement that Pakistani or Turkish forces have been deployed against the Houthis.
Rather, he indicated that the agreement could become operational depending on the circumstances surrounding attacks against Saudi Arabia.
Houthi Attacks Hit Four Saudi Cities
Asif’s statement follows one of the most significant recent waves of Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.
The Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Abha, Khamis Mushait, Najran and Jazan, targeting civilian and economic infrastructure, according to Saudi and international reporting.
Saudi authorities said 73 people were injured, including women and children.
The attacks also caused large fires at oil facilities, intensifying concerns about Saudi energy infrastructure and the wider security of Middle Eastern oil supplies.
Saudi Arabia subsequently lifted a security alert in Khamis Mushait on Wednesday after warning of a potential new threat.
Pakistan Says It Will Honour Defence Commitments
Asif said Pakistan would not retreat from responsibilities arising from the trilateral agreement.
His remarks are particularly significant because they go beyond a general expression of diplomatic solidarity with Saudi Arabia and directly reference Pakistan’s obligations under a collective defence arrangement.
However, the precise form of any response was not specified.
There was no announcement in the remarks of Pakistani combat deployment, military strikes against Yemen or a timetable for joint military action.
The distinction is important: Pakistan has signalled that the pact could be invoked, but no Pakistani military intervention against the Houthis has been announced.
Shehbaz Sharif Condemns Houthi Attacks
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately condemned the Houthi attacks in strong terms.
The prime minister said the strikes targeted civilian and energy facilities and threatened innocent lives as well as regional peace and security.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi people.
The statement reinforces Islamabad’s longstanding security relationship with Riyadh while stopping short of announcing a specific military response.
Türkiye Also Condemns Attacks
Türkiye has also condemned the Houthi strikes.
International reporting says Ankara denounced the attacks amid growing concern that renewed fighting involving Yemen could widen the Middle East conflict and threaten civilian populations and critical energy infrastructure.
That position is particularly relevant because Türkiye is the third member of the Makkah defence framework.
Pakistan and Türkiye had already agreed to deepen bilateral defence cooperation during talks between Asif and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Güler in Istanbul on August 31, ahead of the trilateral committee meeting.
What Is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement?
The trilateral framework links three of the region’s major military powers: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Reporting on the agreement says it is based on a collective-defence principle under which an act of aggression against one member can be regarded as aggression against all three.
The agreement is intended to strengthen deterrence, defence coordination and regional security cooperation.
Pakistan has historically maintained close defence relations with Saudi Arabia, including military training and security cooperation, while its defence partnership with Türkiye has also expanded significantly.
The trilateral framework brings those relationships into a broader strategic mechanism.
No Pakistani Deployment Announced
Asif’s remarks require careful interpretation because of the potential regional implications.
He did not announce that Pakistan had entered the Yemen conflict.
He did not announce Pakistani airstrikes against Houthi positions.
And he did not confirm that Pakistani troops had been ordered into Saudi Arabia in response to the latest attacks.
His statement was that the defence agreement could become operational and that Pakistan would honour the obligations it has undertaken.
Any subsequent decision on military action would therefore represent a separate and substantially more significant development.
Yemen Fighting Intensifies
The warning comes as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces has intensified after years of relative calm.
The Houthis say Saudi-backed forces have carried out airstrikes in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia says the latest Houthi missile and drone attacks represent a dangerous escalation.
The renewed fighting risks undermining the relative restraint that followed a UN-brokered truce in 2022.
It also adds another active front to an already volatile regional security environment.
Energy Security Adds to Regional Stakes
The Houthi attacks carry global economic implications because Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil exporters.
Recent strikes targeted energy infrastructure, while separate US-Iran fighting has severely disrupted maritime activity around the Strait of Hormuz.
The simultaneous threat to Saudi energy installations, Gulf shipping and Red Sea routes has increased concern about global oil supplies.
Brent crude moved above $100 per barrel on Wednesday as traders responded to the expanding Middle East conflict.
Any direct involvement by additional regional powers could therefore have consequences well beyond military affairs, affecting shipping, energy markets and investor confidence.
Pakistan Faces a Major Strategic Test
For Islamabad, the latest developments could test how the new collective-defence framework operates during an actual regional crisis.
Pakistan has repeatedly emphasised its close relationship with Saudi Arabia while also supporting diplomatic efforts aimed at regional stability.
Asif’s remarks signal that Islamabad considers the Makkah agreement a substantive security commitment rather than merely a symbolic political declaration.
At the same time, the absence of an announced deployment means Pakistan’s immediate position remains one of commitment to the pact and solidarity with Saudi Arabia rather than confirmed military intervention.
The next major development will be whether the three countries formally invoke the agreement or announce coordinated security measures following the Houthi attacks.
