Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to convene urgent military meeting — Jerusalem Post

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are preparing an urgent meeting of the chiefs of staff of their armed forces to discuss support for the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. The talks are planned to be held under the Mecca Agreement on Joint Defense.

Response to Houthi attacks

As The Jerusalem Post reports, the foreign ministers of the three states have already held a meeting under the defense agreement. They condemned the attacks on Mecca and other civilian sites and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defense.

According to a statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the agreement provides that an attack on one of its parties is considered an attack on all participants. The foreign ministers discussed organizing an urgent meeting of military leaders, who are to consider options for supporting Saudi Arabia.

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The Houthis said they launched dozens of missiles and drones at targets in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Saudi authorities, for their part, reported intercepting six ballistic missiles fired by the group. Earlier, the kingdom issued emergency warnings for areas including Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s main oil port on the Red Sea.

Statements by Saudi Arabia and Iran

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti called on the military to be ready to give their lives in the fight against the Houthis until the group is removed from power. The country’s state news agency released the statement late Thursday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview with Fox News that the Houthis are themselves responsible for their actions. At the same time, the report notes that the Houthis have repeatedly shelled Saudi Arabia and attacked the forces of Yemen’s government, which is supported by Riyadh. This caused disruptions to oil supplies from the world’s largest energy exporter.