Pakistan warns Mecca defence pact could activate if Yemen war reaches Saudi Arabia

Pakistan has warned that the collective defence provisions of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement could come into effect if the Yemen conflict spills into Saudi Arabia or if any member of the pact faces unprovoked aggression.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said there should be no ambiguity over the nature of the agreement, under which an attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all. The defence arrangement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Mecca last month.

His remarks came after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi cities and economic and energy infrastructure. The attacks reportedly left at least 73 civilians injured.

Asif said Pakistan would honour its commitments under the agreement if Saudi Arabia or another member state faced aggression. He maintained that the pact was strictly defensive and was not designed to allow the three countries to launch attacks against another nation on their own initiative.

According to the Pakistani defence minister, the collective defence mechanism could become operative if the conflict in Yemen expanded beyond the country's borders and affected Saudi Arabia.

Asif also said he was not aware of any direct contact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia following the Houthi attacks. He expressed hope that tensions would ease and that diplomatic efforts would prevent further escalation.

The minister described the agreement as a potential deterrent, arguing that the combined military capabilities of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey could discourage further aggression without necessarily requiring an immediate military response.

The latest warning comes amid renewed tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi forces. The Houthis said their attacks were carried out in retaliation for recent Saudi airstrikes on areas under their control in northwestern Yemen.

Pakistan has reiterated that the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is not an offensive alliance but could be activated if any of its member states comes under aggression, particularly if the Yemen conflict expands into Saudi territory.