Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to arrange an urgent defense meeting following renewed missile and drone strikes targeting the kingdom by Yemen's Houthi movement.
Invoking the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement which deems an attack against one member state an attack against all—Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistan's Ishaq Dar and Türkiye's Hakan Fidan strongly condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure and oil facilities including strikes aimed toward Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu. An upcoming meeting of the three nations' chiefs of staff will determine direct security assistance mechanisms to safeguard Saudi sovereignty.
The escalation coincides with wider Middle East disruptions that have severely impacted global energy security including shipping obstacles at the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Saudi authorities confirmed intercepting six ballistic missiles launched from Yemen on Thursday.
Simultaneously the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to distance Tehran from the escalation, stating in a media interview that the Houthis act independently. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi noted that diplomatic proposals conveyed via intermediaries suggest reopening the Strait of Hormuz if underlying regional blockades and sanctions are addressed.
The three defense partners reaffirmed their commitment to regional stability, navigation rights and de-escalating military tensions through diplomatic channels.
