Allies unite behind Saudi Arabia as Houthis step up attacks
USO•Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold an urgent meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss support for the kingdom after Houthi attacks. Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles, while the Houthis claimed they fired dozens of missiles and drones.
1. Defence pact meeting
The Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish foreign ministers met under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and condemned attacks targeting Mecca and other civilian sites, while affirming Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself. They discussed arrangements for an urgent meeting of the three countries’ chiefs of staff to consider ways to support Saudi Arabia.
2. Attacks and response
The Houthis have struck the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and repeatedly fired into Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia issued emergency alerts for areas including Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu, its main Red Sea oil port. The kingdom’s Grand Mufti called on soldiers to be ready to lay down their lives fighting the Houthis.
3. Diplomacy and oil flows
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Houthis were responsible for their own actions. Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran had proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz if its conditions were met; oil prices fell Friday as markets weighed the possibility of a truce, while nine ships transited the strait on Thursday, half the 10-day average.
