The 'Mecca Pact' is activated for the first time: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye against the Houthis
The three-nation collective-defence pact signed on 7 August was activated in Riyadh on 5 October. Meanwhile, a Saudi-led coalition has launched an operation in Yemen.
The collective-defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye — the 'Mecca Pact' — has been activated for the first time, as a military operation against the Houthis intensifies in Yemen.
The pact and its activation
The Mecca Pact was signed on 7 August 2026 and contains a NATO Article 5-style principle: an attack on any one of the three states is treated as an attack on all three. On 5 October an emergency committee met in Riyadh — attended by the defence and foreign ministers of all three countries — and agreed to activate 'collective deterrence measures' and to deploy forces to Saudi Arabia. It was the pact's first activation.
The operation in Yemen
The same day, the head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, announced 'Operation Yemeni Dawn' — a ground offensive by Yemeni government forces with air support from the Saudi-led coalition. A coalition spokesman, Major General Turki al-Maliki, said 100 fighter jets took part and that 324 'high-value' Houthi targets were destroyed. These claims have not been independently verified. Saudi Arabia re-entered the war after repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi facilities; in September the Houthis had seized part of the Red Sea coast, including Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
What the sides say
Pakistan describes its role as 'defensive.' Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said of the agreement on 2 October: 'It is defensive in nature. It has no offensive agenda.' Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the combat is practically being conducted by Saudi forces, with Pakistan and Türkiye in 'a supporting role.' Türkiye has not publicly confirmed any deployment. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed strikes on Riyadh's airport and the Aramco refinery at Rabigh, calling them a response to Saudi air raids; Riyadh did not confirm those claims.
