Military leaders from Turkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia convened in Riyadh on September 25, 2026, to discuss collaborative strategies amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement. The meeting was prompted by a surge in Houthi assaults on Saudi Arabia, which has intensified since July, following the end of a long-standing truce. The Iranian-backed group has declared a maritime blockade and has targeted Saudi oil exports, raising concerns about regional stability, as reported by Gulf Times.
The Turkish Defence Ministry confirmed that General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, the Chief of General Staff, attended the meeting, while Saudi state media also acknowledged the military discussions but did not provide specific details about the agenda. Photographs released by Ankara showed the three military officials in uniform, indicating that the meeting had indeed taken place.
This military consultation followed a prior meeting in New York involving the foreign ministers of the three nations, where they discussed arrangements for the urgent gathering of military chiefs. The discussions were aimed at reinforcing support for Saudi Arabia in line with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which was signed last month and commits the three countries to mutual defence in the event of an attack.
Despite the agreement’s NATO-style mutual defence clause, there has been no military response from Pakistan or Turkiye against the Houthi attacks thus far. The foreign ministers also condemned the Houthi strikes on civilian and economic targets in Saudi Arabia, including attacks on Makkah, which the Houthis have denied.
In a related development, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Saleh bin Fawzan, urged military personnel to be prepared to fulfill their duties and prayed for the eradication of the Houthi group and its supporters. This call to action underscores the heightened tensions in the region and the ongoing threat posed by the Houthi movement.
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