Saudi, Turkish, Pakistani military chiefs to hold urgent talks on Yemen

September 25, 2026 at 08:35 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan plan an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff to discuss support for the kingdom under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The announcement followed a meeting of their foreign ministers in New York on Thursday. The move comes as Saudi Arabia reported a fresh wave of attacks from Yemen.

Key Facts

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7.
The pact stipulates that an attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on all of them.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences shot down six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu on Thursday.
France will send military assets, including soldiers, radars and defence systems, to help protect Yanbu.

Urgent Military Talks

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have announced they are planning an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff to discuss ways to support the kingdom under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The announcement followed a meeting on Thursday in New York between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The statement did not say when the military chiefs would meet or what form of support could be considered.

Mecca Joint Defence Agreement

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 to strengthen collective deterrence and expand defence cooperation. The pact stipulates that an attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on them all. The three countries have since begun setting up mechanisms under the pact. Their foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs met in Istanbul on August 31 for the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, agreeing to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and to deepen military cooperation.

Yemen Attacks and International Response

Saudi Arabia said its air defences shot down six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu on Thursday. Major-General Turki al-Malki, the coalition spokesman, said further Houthi escalation would be “dealt with firmly”. The Houthis separately claimed missile and drone attacks on a “sensitive target” in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. France has also offered to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia, with President Emmanuel Macron saying Paris would send military assets, meaning soldiers, radars and defence systems, to protect Yanbu.