SANAA (Rajeev Sharma): Yemen’s Houthi movement has warned Pakistan and Türkiye against deploying forces in support of Saudi Arabia, raising the stakes around a newly established three-way defence arrangement as fighting in the region intensifies.
Senior Houthi official Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, speaking to CNN-News18, said Islamabad and Ankara could face military retaliation if their forces became directly involved in operations against the group. He warned that any such intervention would be met with what he described as an “iron fist”.
The remarks come amid growing attention on the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye on August 7. The pact states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three and provides for expanded defence cooperation.
Ankara signals readiness to support Riyadh
The Houthi warning follows recent statements from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan indicating that Türkiye is prepared to help meet Saudi Arabia’s military requirements under the defence agreement. Reuters reported that Fidan expressed Ankara’s solidarity with Riyadh as Houthi attacks on Saudi territory continued.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has maintained a more cautious position while engaging diplomatically with Iran. Islamabad has urged Tehran to help curb Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and has indicated that its obligations under the defence agreement could become relevant if Riyadh formally seeks assistance.
Pact designed as a collective defence framework
The agreement was presented by its signatories as a defensive arrangement aimed at collective deterrence rather than an alliance directed against a particular country. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has described it as an instrument intended to strengthen regional security and collective self-defence.
The three countries have already taken steps to institutionalise the pact. At a meeting in Istanbul on August 31, their foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and deepen cooperation in defence capabilities and technology.
Houthi warning comes amid fresh Saudi attacks
The latest threat comes as the confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has intensified. Saudi authorities said on September 19 that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh had been intercepted. The Houthis separately claimed to have targeted sites in Riyadh and Saudi energy infrastructure, though those claims were not independently verified.
Against this backdrop, Al-Bukhaiti’s comments appear aimed at deterring Pakistan and Türkiye from moving from diplomatic and political support for Saudi Arabia towards direct military participation.
For now, however, the extent of any possible military involvement by either country remains uncertain, leaving the Makkah defence pact at the centre of an increasingly complicated regional security situation.
