Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to activate the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and rapidly deploy agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The move comes as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launch a major counteroffensive against the Iran-aligned Houthis, claiming to have retaken the strategic port city of Mocha, the Dhubab district and key positions near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, although the Houthis deny the claims and the battlefield reports have not been independently verified. The Saudi-led coalition says 100 fighter jets are providing air support, while Yemen’s government has also announced a major offensive aimed at retaking Houthi-held territory, including Sanaa.
Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, says Saudi air strikes are currently the Yemeni government’s strongest military asset, while intense fighting continues around Bab al-Mandeb, Taiz and Marib and both sides dispute who controls key positions.
Security and intelligence analyst Nawaf Obaid, a senior research fellow at King’s College London, says activation of the alliance was expected and that Pakistan’s involvement is particularly significant. He argues the combined military force will make it difficult for the Houthis to sustain their positions, while Iran is unlikely to enter a direct war with Saudi Arabia because of its military, political and economic constraints.
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