Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Sign Mutual Defense Pact
Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense agreement, while Houthi attacks escalate in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
In a significant diplomatic move, Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia have formalized a mutual defense agreement. The pact, signed during a meeting in Saudi Arabia, stipulates that an armed attack on any of the three nations will be considered an attack on all. The agreement is designed to bolster collective deterrence against aggression, according to Pakistan's foreign ministry.
The signing was attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The deal comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its defense partnerships, particularly given recent attacks on its critical infrastructure and oil facilities.
In a separate development, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have escalated their military actions. On Friday morning, they launched missiles on Marib province in eastern Yemen, targeting areas from west of the capital, Sanaa. Local reports indicate multiple strikes across the city, though casualty numbers remain unconfirmed. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for this attack.
Separately, the rebel group struck the Najran region in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Thursday. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed the attack wounded 11 civilians, including a woman and a child with second-degree burns, and condemned the shelling as indiscriminate. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for this incident either, though a spokesperson stated the group will continue to target gatherings of Saudi-backed forces.
These attacks represent a notable escalation since a 2022 truce that largely halted fighting in Yemen's civil war, which pits the Iran-backed Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognized government.
In a related incident, the Lebanese army reported that a soldier was lightly wounded on Friday while clearing roads in the southern village of Mansouri, which was subjected to Israeli shelling earlier this week. The Israeli military has not commented, though it launched strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to what it described as a Hezbollah ceasefire violation.