The Mecca Defense Alliance might be activated by any attack on Saudi Arabia, according to Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who warned that an attack on one member would be considered an attack on all signatories.
His remarks coincided with Saudi Arabia shutting down a number of energy facilities in the south as the Houthi insurgents in Yemen, who are supported by Iran, reported new attacks on the country.
The Houthi attacks coincided with Iran’s threat to take a more assertive stance against the United States. Recently, the Islamic Republic rearranged its armed forces in order to adopt what it referred to as a “offensive doctrine.”
“We’re bound by the terms and conditions of this pact and, God willing, we’ll honor this pact if there’s aggression. There should be no ambiguity about this,” Asif stated in a Geo News interview. “Could make this agreement operational,” he remarked, and the Houthis should understand that.
Last month, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan inked a trilateral defense pact in Mecca. Asif reaffirmed that “we are bound to help or react according to the agreement,” but he did not know if Riyadh had made contact with Islamabad.
According to Asif, the agreement allows members to react collectively to an attack on one another and is defensive rather than attacking. “We are hoping the situation will die down,” he said, urging the Houthis to refrain from drawing Saudi Arabia further into the Yemeni crisis because doing so could trigger the deal.
Asif stated that Islamabad has backed Saudi Arabia even before the deal was finalized. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have longstanding defense ties. He cited the 2014 crisis in Yemen, where the Houthis overthrew the internationally recognized government and took control of the capital before a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened.
Separately, Asif stated that despite an apparent deadlock, he was still optimistic that attempts to bring about peace between the US and Iran may succeed. “I will not abandon hope,” he declared, characterizing diplomacy as a “tight-rope walk” and the situation as marginally better than a standoff.
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