Pakistan Reaffirms Unconditional Defense Commitment to Saudi Arabia
Pakistan's defense minister has stated the country is bound by formal pacts to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi aggression.
Pakistan has reaffirmed its unconditional defense commitment to Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom's infrastructure and Red Sea shipping. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated Pakistan is bound by existing defense arrangements to defend Saudi Arabia against any threat, including from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Recent Houthi attacks on Saudi military and infrastructure have escalated regional tensions. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and are targeting Saudi ships in the Red Sea. Since the Yemen war escalated in 2015, the Houthis have carried out missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia. Their targets have included military installations, airports, oil facilities, and other critical infrastructure.
In September 2019, the Houthis claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi Aramco's Abqaiq processing facility and Khurais oil field, which temporarily disrupted more than half of Saudi Arabia's crude production. Attacks continued in subsequent years, including strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure in March 2022. In September 2026, the Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on a Saudi military base and other targets, with Saudi authorities reporting attacks affecting several cities. Fresh fighting is also occurring between the Houthis and the Yemeni government.
Pakistan's defense commitments
Pakistan has formalized its defense obligations to Saudi Arabia through multiple agreements. Khawaja Asif said Pakistan will be there to defend Saudi Arabia against threats from the Houthis, a country, or any other outfit. He explained that Pakistan would use whatever means are available for this defense.
Pakistan has signed two defence agreements with Riyadh. The first is the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), signed in September 2025. Under this pact, any attack on either nation is treated as an act of aggression against both. Khawaja Asif stated, when I say that we are bound by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that means that whatever means are available at our disposal, they will be available to Saudi Arabia also.
On September 27, 2026, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated resolve to implement the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement amid rising Houthi attacks. He stated that if the sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah were attacked, Pakistan is bound by an eternal agreement to protect them. He referred to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as a 'worldly agreement' that would operate in all circumstances, adding that protecting Saudi Arabia falls under a divine duty.
Khawaja Asif suggested that individual proxy groups may act independently, explaining that some proxy groups can go rogue and develop independent agendas and capabilities over time. He stated that Iran does not accept the Houthis as its proxy. In a video clip published by Al Jazeera, he said, "there is no absolutely no doubt in our mind that Houthis are committing aggression against Saudi Arabia." He added that the Houthis were 'enemies of Saudi Arabia, and any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan.'
Alliance coordination
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are coordinating military responses through the Makkah Defence Alliance. The military leadership of the three countries held a meeting last week in Riyadh. On September 25, 2026, their senior military leadership condemned attacks targeting Makkah and reaffirmed commitment to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
On September 26, 2026, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman reaffirmed joint efforts to confront attacks on Makkah and civilian or economic facilities during a meeting with Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. The military leadership stated their intention to urgently turn the alliance's commitments into effective military cooperation, expressing a shared determination to 'immediately translate' their commitments into effective military cooperation.
The Makkah Defence Alliance, also referred to as the Mecca Defense Alliance, was signed on August 7. It includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye. Under its terms, an attack on one member state is treated as an attack on all. Khawaja Asif stated that Pakistan and Türkiye would stand with Saudi Arabia practically and diplomatically in case of any aggression.
Earlier statements from Pakistani military officials show the depth of the commitment. On September 18, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan would go to 'any extent' to defend Saudi Arabia, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security was 'unconditional'. Pakistan's commitment to defend Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement remains firm amid the ongoing Houthi attacks.
