SAUDI ARABIA, TURKIYE AND PAKISTAN PLAN EMERGENCY MILITARY MEETING OVER HOUTHI ATTACKS

Fri 25 September 2026:

Chiefs of staff from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan are preparing to hold an urgent military meeting following recent Houthi attacks on the kingdom, according to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The upcoming talks form part of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which stipulates that “any attack on any party is considered an attack on all parties”.

The announcement followed a high-level meeting on Thursday at the kingdom’s Permanent Delegation to the United Nations in New York, where Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

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During the gathering on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the ministers strongly condemned “vicious attacks targeting Mecca as well as civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia”. They praised the vigilance of the Saudi armed forces and affirmed the kingdom’s right to defend its security in accordance with “Article 51 of the United Nations Charter”.

Furthermore, the ministers discussed regional stability, emphasising the importance of international law, good neighbourliness and ensuring the freedom of maritime navigation while renewing their commitment to de-escalation and peaceful solutions.

#نيويورك | سمو وزير الخارجية الأمير #فيصل_بن_فرحان @FaisalbinFarhan يعقد اجتماعاً مع معالي نائب رئيس الوزراء وزير خارجية جمهورية باكستان الإسلامية السيد محمد إسحاق دار، ومعالي وزير خارجية الجمهورية التركية السيد هاكان فيدان، وذلك في إطار اتفاقية مكة للدفاع المشترك.… pic.twitter.com/FqSWVfY17z

— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) September 25, 2026

The Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world’s largest energy exporter.

On Thursday, the rebel group said it had struck the facilities of state oil firm Aramco in Yanbu, and a “sensitive target” in Riyadh. Saudi forces said they had intercepted six ballistic missiles. Authorities have not confirmed any damage.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been battling the Saudi-backed government of Yemen for more than a decade. That conflict has been rekindled amid Israel’s wars against the Iran-aligned Hamas group in Gaza and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and the United States war on Iran.

The Houthi targeting of Yanbu adds to the pressure on Saudi Arabia’s oil exports.

Earlier this month, the Houthis seized the Yemeni port of Mocha and several Red Sea islands, giving them significant control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, which usually carries about 12 percent of global oil trade.

Strikes have also disrupted the operation of the East-West Pipeline linking Yanbu to export routes. Riyadh had been using it to export crude bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which is restricted amid the Iran-US war.

However, the Houthis have now forced the Saudis to switch some exports back to Hormuz.

Brent crude rose more than 3 percent on Thursday, briefly topping $108 a barrel, before easing to $105.77 on Friday morning.

Houthi drone near Mecca

Saudi Arabia stated that its air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca in mid-September 2026, an accusation that the Houthi movement strongly denied. The Incident and Saudi Accusations

According to the Saudi-led coalition, a drone launched from Yemen was shot down south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, September 15, 2026.

Coalition spokesperson Colonel Turki Al-Malki stated that the security of Islam’s holiest site is a “red line” and warned that the kingdom would take deterrent measures.

King Salman called the alleged targeting a “heinous crime” and a provocation against Muslims worldwide.

Qatar strongly condemns attacks by Houthis on Taif and Yanbu