The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan met to discuss mechanisms for supporting Riyadh under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, following Houthi missile strikes on Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure and a New York meeting of the three countries' foreign ministers [3][5][13]. The move to activate the pact's mutual-assistance clause came as French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would send soldiers, radars, and defence systems to protect the Yanbu oil terminal on the Red Sea [1][9][11]. Saudi forces reported intercepting six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, while the Houthis stated they had struck Aramco facilities in Yanbu and a "sensitive target" in Riyadh [1][7][18].
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry announced the urgent chiefs-of-staff meeting under the joint defence agreement, and Pakistan's Foreign Office stated that the three countries condemned "in the strongest terms the heinous attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah and civilian and economic facilities" and reaffirmed the kingdom's right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter [5][7]. The UN Security Council issued a unanimous condemnation of the Houthi attacks, with French envoy Jerome Bonnafont citing strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure that injured civilians including women and children [14][19]. The United States stated at the Security Council that the Houthis are "agents and tools of Iran" and reaffirmed US support for Saudi Arabia's right to defend its territory [21]. Yemen's Vice President Abdullah Abdulkader al-Alimi-Bawzer told the UN General Assembly that the Houthis' use of navigation safety as a tool for blackmail "is taking hostage the entire global economy" [1][7].
The Makkah pact, signed in August by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Tayyip Erdogan, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, carries a NATO-style Article 5 mutual-defence clause [8][12]. Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus stated, "We never see the Mecca Agreement as a pact against Iran, it must not be that way," and said the pact could expand into a broader arrangement for the Muslim world, including Iran [12]. Erdogan said the pact could yield intelligence, logistical, or ammunition support, and that "more advanced military support could also be considered depending on the scale of the threat" [4][15]. Pakistani ruling-party parliamentarian جمال شاہ کاکڑ called the agreement "معاہدہ مکہ خطے میں امن، استحکام اور برادر اسلامی ممالک کے اتحاد کی علامت ہے" (a symbol of peace, stability, and unity of Islamic brotherly countries in the region) [27]. A German analysis of the pact weighed the implications of Turkey belonging to both NATO and the new mutual-defence arrangement [32].
Turkish opposition parties challenged the pact in parliament. Turhan Çömez of the İYİ Party called the agreement dangerous and demanded parliamentary approval under Article 90, warning that Turkey could be drawn into a war against Iran [26]. Murat Emir of the YENİ Party argued the agreement would make Turkey "a paid guard" for Saudi and Pakistani conflicts [26]. The ruling AKP's Özlem Zengin defended the pact as a stability-focused, problem-solving arrangement that does not target any country or violate NATO commitments [26]. In France, opposition politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon demanded a National Assembly vote on the Yanbu deployment under Article 35 of the Constitution, stating that stationing troops on a war theatre makes France a belligerent [11].
Macron framed the French deployment as site protection tied to domestic fuel prices, with pump prices near a record 2.40 euros per litre. "We are going to send military resources, that is to say, soldiers, radar systems and defence systems, to protect this site — not to get us involved in any conflicts, but to protect this site," Macron said [9][11]. He did not rule out further measures, including Rafale fighter jets, if needed [11].
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated the group launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones aimed at operations rooms, command centres, weapons depots, and military camps [18]. The Houthis warned other nations not to get involved while insisting their naval blockade applies only to Saudi shipping [7]. Sanaa-aligned analysis argued the blockade has already choked Yanbu exports and left Riyadh with no effective response, asserting that the Makkah pact has had no effect on the conflict [25].
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that Tehran directs Houthi operations, stating, "The Houthis are responsible for their own actions. They don't take directions from us" [6][34]. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei denied any Iranian role in the attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, calling attribution a "lie" [28]. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade, releasing frozen funds, and waiving oil sanctions [4][14]. Iran's Foreign Ministry also called for an end to what it termed an illegal and inhumane blockade of Yemen and for the immediate resumption of dialogue [29]. Iran's adviser Mohammad Mokhber threatened that countries restricting Iranian flights under US pressure — Iraq, the UAE, and Oman — would themselves lose access to regional airspace [4]. China's President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with US President Donald Trump that China supports the US and Iran returning to a June deal meant to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz [14].
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Salih al-Fawzan issued a statement calling the Houthis "جماعة الشر التي أفسدت في البلاد وفرقت العباد" (a group of evil that has corrupted the land and divided people) and urging soldiers to unite, obey their leadership, and be ready to sacrifice their lives until the group is ousted from power [2][4]. King Salman denounced the Houthis as a "terrorist militia" and condemned their attempt to target Makkah as a provocation to Muslims around the world [5][13].
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that "civilians are now bearing the brunt of this latest upsurge in fighting" and that 125 civilians had been killed or injured since August [18]. An AFP tally counted 150 fighters killed in 24 hours and 230,000 newly displaced in Yemen [17]. Displaced Yemenis described fleeing Mokha by boat as missiles struck their homes and the port. One woman, هيفاء, said: "الصواريخ ضربت بيوتنا بشدة وافتجعنا وخرجنا، كنا أكثر من 50 شخصا في القارب، وأول ما خرجنا ضربوا الميناء" (The missiles struck our homes violently and we fled; we were more than 50 people in the boat, and as soon as we left they struck the port) [23]. Camp delegates in Taiz reported that absorption capacity had entirely collapsed, with hundreds of families crowding streets without tents, clean water, or health care [24].
War-risk insurance premiums for Saudi-linked Red Sea tankers have roughly tripled, and loadings at Yanbu have not resumed after the pipeline attack [20][31]. Oil market analyst June Goh of Sparta Commodities said oil will likely stay above $100 a barrel as long as the war on Iran continues and the global oil inventory gap keeps widening [1]. Chatham House energy expert Neil Quilliam argued the disruption is structural, stating there is no way to return to the pre-crisis situation [33]. A Chinese energy scholar noted that while strategic reserves buffer short-term supply risk, medium-term cost transmission through the industrial chain demands active energy-security management [30].
The Makkah pact's institutional build-out is underway, with a secretariat in Riyadh headed by retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood [13]. Turkey's defence ministry published photographs of the three military chiefs in uniform, confirming the meeting had taken place [5][13]. Turkish parliament ratification of the pact is expected to reach parliament's agenda in the coming period [12].