Pakistan Ratifies Three-Nation Mecca Defence Pact as Saudi Arabia Faces Houthi Attacks

Pakistan announced on Friday that it has ratified a joint defence pact with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, at a time when the kingdom faces renewed security threats from Yemen's Houthis and is looking for allies to support it.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Islamabad and Riyadh have both completed their ratification procedures for the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which the three countries signed on 7 August. "Matters related to the agreement, its ratification, and operationalisation remain under discussion by the three parties," Khan said, according to a transcript released by the Foreign Office.

Turkey is still working through its domestic approval process, so the agreement has not yet been ratified by all three signatories.

The deal was signed in Mecca by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It sets out collective defence in the event of an external armed attack on any of the three states, with the nature and level of assistance to be decided according to the circumstances. Islamabad has described the pact as defensive and in line with the UN Charter.

The agreement moved closer to implementation after a 5 October meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the three countries. That meeting called for collective defence commitments to be carried out and for military forces and capabilities to be deployed rapidly in Saudi Arabia, subject to each country's domestic laws.

The announcement comes amid fears of a wider regional escalation. Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued warnings this week about possible danger in parts of the kingdom, including Abha and Khamis Mushait in the southwest, before later saying the danger had passed. Authorities did not say what the threat was, but advised residents to follow safety instructions and avoid gathering or filming in the affected areas, according to Anadolu Agency.

The alerts coincided with Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. Reuters reported on 21 October that Riyadh's allies were mainly offering defensive support as the kingdom tried to protect its infrastructure against further strikes.

Elsewhere, the Israeli military announced large-scale exercises in the north and centre of the country on Sunday and Monday. The drills will involve the air force and units from the Northern and Central Commands, and will rehearse scenarios of surprise air and land attacks and infiltrations. The military said they are meant to test readiness to defend against attacks on multiple fronts and to prepare for any escalation along Israel's borders.

The preparations come as Washington and Tel Aviv are reportedly weighing renewed military action against Iran. On Friday, President Trump said the United States might carry out another military operation against Iran as the conflict nears its eighth month. A report this week by The Business Times, citing US officials, said American and Israeli forces have drawn up plans for fresh strikes after the US midterm elections on 3 November. Possible targets, it said, include Iranian energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone capabilities.