Yemen war

Saudi, Turkey, Pakistan Plan Urgent Defense Talks

Is joining Riyadh's defense a duty of solidarity and self-defense or does it turn a defense pact into a war pact?

Published SEP 25

Saudi, Turkey, Pakistan Plan Urgent Defense Talks

Story

Above: Faisal bin Farhan (C), Ishaq Dar (L) and Hakan Fidan in New York on Sept. 24. Image credit: KSAMOFA via X

The Facts

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan plan to hold an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff to discuss ways to support the kingdom under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, which holds that an attack on one signatory is an attack on all three, the Saudi Press Agency announced Thursday.
Iran International
Al Jazeera
The Jerusalem Post
The Saudi Foreign Ministry on X
The announcement followed a meeting Thursday in New York between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Iran International
Al Jazeera
Asharq Al-Awsat
The Houthis said they fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets Thursday, while Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles. Emergency alerts were issued for areas including Mecca, Jeddah and the Red Sea oil port of Yanbu.
Arab News PK
The Times of Israel
Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti, Sheikh al-Fawzan, called on soldiers to be ready to lay down their lives fighting the Houthis, saying restoring security in Yemen under its legitimate leadership is "a paramount duty."
Saudigazette
DAWN
Reuters
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to distance Tehran from the group in a Fox News interview Thursday. He said, "The Houthis are responsible for their own actions," and added that "They don't take directions from us."
FOX News
Anadolu Agency
The Jerusalem Post
Fighting on several Yemeni fronts killed at least 150 combatants in the 24 hours leading into Friday, according to an AFP tally, while the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said more than 230,000 people have been displaced since the start of September.
Arab News PK
Al Jazeera
UN News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Attacks on holy sites and civilian infrastructure demand a firm collective response, and standing with the Kingdom is a matter of basic self-defense under international law. A joint defense pact means little if partners show up only when one is bleeding. Regional nations must reclaim sovereignty and build collective security in the Middle East without Washington's shadow.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry on X

Trita Parsi's Substack

Narrative B

Dragging outside militaries into a campaign that has already devastated Yemeni homes, markets, schools and health care would turn a defense pact into a war pact. Twelve years of bombardment and blockade have produced mass death and displacement. Real Islamic solidarity would mean pressing Riyadh to lift the siege and honor the roadmap instead of enlisting reinforcements.

Al Masirah