Pakistan has signalled that it may join Saudi Arabia militarily against the Iran-backed Houthis, invoking the Mecca Defence Pact after drone and missile strikes injured at least 73 civilians in Saudi Arabia. 

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that Pakistan is “bound by the terms” of the pact, raising the possibility of airstrikes in Yemen and a wider regional escalation.

The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has intensified, with the Houthis targeting Saudi energy infrastructure and cities. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that the Mecca Pact’s collective defence clause could be activated if the conflict spills into Saudi territory. He emphasised that an attack on one member—Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or Turkey—would be treated as an attack on all.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed last month, was designed as a defensive program rather than an offensive alliance. Asif clarified that the pact does not authorise members to launch unilateral attacks but obliges them to respond collectively to aggression.

He stressed that Pakistan would honour its commitments to Saudi Arabia if required, leaving “no ambiguity” about Islamabad’s stance.

The Houthis, backed by Iran, have long fought to seize power in Yemen. Their latest strikes injured dozens of civilians and damaged Saudi energy facilities, reviving memories of Riyadh’s failed intervention in Yemen in 2015. Pakistan’s potential involvement could mark the first operational test of the Mecca Pact, which was built upon the earlier Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Islamabad and Riyadh.

Pakistani sources have suggested that airstrikes could target Houthi strongholds in Saadah and other regions. This would represent a significant escalation, as Pakistan has historically supported Saudi Arabia but avoided direct combat in Yemen. The Defence Minister’s remarks now hint at a shift, with Islamabad prepared to act militarily if Saudi sovereignty is threatened.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the Houthi attacks, reaffirming Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity. The government in Islamabad views the Houthis as non-state actors aligned with Iran, whose actions risk destabilising the wider region.

The credibility of the Mecca Pact is therefore at stake. If Pakistan joins Saudi Arabia in combat operations, it could deepen the Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey defence axis but also risk dragging Pakistan into the broader Iran conflict. Observers warn that such involvement could escalate tensions across West Asia, potentially drawing in other powers and complicating Pakistan’s delicate relations with Tehran.

Diplomatic efforts remain uncertain. While Pakistan’s Defence Minister expressed hope that tensions might subside, he also made clear that the pact’s clauses would become operative if aggression continues.

The situation underscores the fragile balance in the region, where alliances and rivalries intersect amid ongoing wars.

Agencies