Pakistan Clarifies Saudi Defence Pact Stance Amid Escalating Houthi Attacks

Pakistan has clarified that there is currently no discussion about launching a military response under its defence pact with Saudi Arabia, despite the intensifying Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Islamabad would act under the Mecca defence agreement if and when required, but stressed that no military action was being considered at present.

“There is no such thing under discussion right now … When the time comes, (we) will act under the agreement,” Khan said during his weekly media briefing, according to Reuters.

The Mecca defence agreement was signed last month by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is to be treated as an attack against all three.

The clarification came as Iran-backed Houthi forces stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting cities and critical energy infrastructure. The escalation has added to concerns over the widening regional conflict and its potential impact on vital shipping routes.

On Thursday, the Houthis seized a strategic Red Sea port, potentially giving them greater ability to threaten traffic near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints. The development comes amid continuing disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of global energy trade passes.

Pakistan has condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia but has not disclosed any specific military response under the Mecca pact. Islamabad has also been trying to maintain its strategic ties with both Riyadh and Tehran while positioning itself as a mediator between the United States and Iran.

Pakistan Warns Iran Over Houthi Attacks

Pakistan has separately warned Iran to rein in its Yemeni allies as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continue, Reuters reported, citing Pakistani and Iranian sources.

A senior Iranian official confirmed that Islamabad delivered the message on Tuesday. Tehran, however, rejected the suggestion that it could control the Houthi movement, telling Pakistan that “Iran does not control the Houthis”.

The Houthi attacks have created a diplomatic challenge for Islamabad, given its close relationship with Saudi Arabia and its longstanding strategic ties with Iran. Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had earlier indicated that the security arrangement could be activated if aggression extended to Saudi Arabia.

“An aggression on one country will be considered an aggression on all three countries,” Asif said on Pakistani television.