Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to activate “deterrence measures” under their mutual defence pact and rapidly deploy forces to Saudi Arabia in response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. The decision was announced on Monday after the three countries’ defence and foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Riyadh. It marked the first activation of the Mecca Alliance for Defence since it was signed on August 7. Under the pact, an attack on any of the three nations is treated as an attack on all, similar to a key provision of NATO’s founding treaty.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the alliance had agreed to activate collective deterrence measures in response to the attacks and those responsible for them. He also said the three countries had reaffirmed their solidarity in confronting attacks against Saudi Arabia and its holy sites. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the countries would provide agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia under approved arrangements and in accordance with each country’s laws.
The decision came as fighting intensified in Yemen. Forces aligned with the internationally recognised Yemeni government launched a counteroffensive against the Iran-aligned Houthis, who captured territory last month. The Saudi-backed forces said they had retaken the Red Sea port city of Mocha and gained control of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed its involvement, saying around 100 fighter jets were providing air support. The Houthis, meanwhile, claimed attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh and other critical sites, although Riyadh has not confirmed the claims.
The Mecca Defence Alliance emerged amid growing regional tensions following the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. The pact was signed in August, shortly before the Houthis launched their offensive in Yemen, which included attacks on Saudi targets. According to the 2026 Global Firepower Index, the three members together have nearly 1.4 million active troops, around 3,400 military aircraft, 6,000 tanks and more than 340 naval assets. Earlier, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had warned that aggression or a spillover of the Yemen conflict into Saudi Arabia could make the agreement operational, although the alliance had taken no action until Monday.
Abdulaziz Alghashian, a senior non-resident fellow at the Gulf International Forum, said the activation of the pact could have a major impact on regional security. He said the Houthi attacks and provocations in recent months had accelerated the development of the Mecca alliance and helped shape its structure. Alghashian also described the move as an early sign of a regional security architecture taking form, calling it a critical juncture in the history of the region.
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