Mecca Agreement Allies Prepare for Riyadh Summit Amid Yemen Escalation
Pakistan announced an upcoming meeting for the Mecca Agreement as Saudi Arabia reportedly plans a major military offensive against Houthi forces in Yemen.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday that a meeting of the Strategic Defense Committee, established under the Mecca Agreement uniting Saudi Arabia and Turkey, is scheduled to take place soon in Riyadh. Amid criticism over the alliance's failure to come to the aid of Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks, Dar claimed that six additional countries have expressed interest in joining the pact, though he did not specify which nations.
Saudi-Led Offensive in Yemen
While the Mecca Agreement framework currently favors political dialogue over direct military intervention against the Houthis, Reuters reported that Riyadh is planning a major offensive against the Yemeni rebels. According to regional and western sources, options under consideration include a coastal operation to secure Red Sea shipping lanes or a multi-front assault. The operation, expected to launch in the coming weeks, would rely on ground forces trained and overseen by Riyadh, backed by Saudi airstrikes.
Military officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan recently met in Riyadh to review the evolving security landscape and shared threats. Despite ongoing diplomatic talks and military coordination, Houthi drone and missile strikes targeting Saudi territory persist, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
