Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan plan urgent defence talks

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are preparing an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss support for Saudi Arabia amid intensified attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The decision followed a trilateral meeting of the countries’ foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.

The talks will take place under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, which stipulates that an armed attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all three. Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu, while the Houthis separately claimed attacks on targets in Riyadh and Yanbu.

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The escalating violence has also raised concerns over shipping and energy supplies around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb. Turkey has expressed readiness to meet Saudi military needs under the pact, while France has offered defensive support for Yanbu. Meanwhile, fighting inside Yemen has intensified, with at least 150 fighters from government-aligned and Houthi forces reportedly killed over 24 hours.