- Pakistan’s Defense Minister warned attack on Saudi could activate Mecca Defense Alliance
- Saudi Arabia halted energy facilities after new Houthi strikes from Yemen
- The Mecca pact signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan is defensive and collective
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said any attack on Saudi Arabia could activate the Mecca Defense Alliance, warning aggression against one member would be viewed as an attack on all signatories.
His comments came as Saudi Arabia halted several energy facilities in its south as the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen claimed fresh strikes on the kingdom. The Houthi attacks came as Iran warned of a more aggressive posture toward the US. The Islamic Republic recently reorganized its military ranks to pivot to what it called an "offensive doctrine."
"We're bound by the terms and conditions of this pact and, God willing, we'll honor this pact if there's aggression. There should be no ambiguity about this," Asif said in an interview with Geo News. The Houthis should recognize that their actions "could make this agreement operational," he said.
The trilateral defense agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was signed in Mecca last month.
Asif said he is unaware whether Riyadh has reached out to Islamabad, but reiterated that "we are bound to help or react according to the agreement."
Asif said the pact is defensive rather than offensive and provides for members to respond collectively to an attack on one. He urged the Houthis not to draw Saudi Arabia further into Yemen's conflict, saying any attempt to do so could bring the pact into play.
"We are hoping the situation will die down," he said.
Pakistan has long-standing defense ties with Saudi Arabia, and Asif said Islamabad had supported the kingdom even before the agreement was sealed. He pointed to the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition intervened against the Houthis in 2014 after the group seized the capital and drove out the internationally recognized government.
Separately, Asif said he remained hopeful that efforts to secure peace between the US and Iran could succeed despite an apparent impasse.
"I will not abandon hope," he said, describing diplomacy as a "tight-rope walk" and the situation as slightly better than a stalemate.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
