Pakistan vows to defend Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks

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Pakistan has pledged to defend Saudi Arabia “to any extent” amid a series of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement. Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations, said Islamabad stands with Saudi Arabia both diplomatically and physically.

The statement came after recent attacks on Saudi targets. Debris from an intercepted drone killed one person and injured two others in Taif, while Saudi authorities also reported the interception of a Houthi drone heading toward restricted airspace around Makkah. Drones launched from Iraq also damaged three pumping stations along the Kingdom’s East-West Pipeline.

Chaudhry said Pakistan’s commitment includes protecting Saudi Arabia and the two holiest Islamic sites in Makkah and Madinah. His remarks were stronger than Islamabad’s earlier public position that no Pakistani military response was being discussed under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.

The Makkah agreement, signed on August 7, treats an armed attack on Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or Türkiye as an attack on all three countries. It builds on a Pakistan-Saudi strategic defense agreement signed in September 2025.

Pakistan has also been pursuing diplomatic efforts to contain the wider regional conflict. Islamabad has sought a negotiated and peaceful outcome while consulting regional governments and maintaining communication with Saudi and Iranian officials.