Mecca pact alliance activates ‘collective deterrence measures’ against Houthi attacks

The military alliance of the Mecca pact has decided to “activate collective deterrence measures” in response to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the holy sites, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman announced on Monday after an emergency meeting in Riyadh of the signatories of the joint defence agreement — as Al Jazeera reports.

The meeting, convened in the Saudi capital, “reiterated the solidarity and unity of our countries in the face of” the Houthis’ “heinous” attacks on the Kingdom and the holy sites, the prince said in a statement after the meeting, also published on his X account.

The Strategic Political and Defence Committee “agreed to activate collective deterrence measures within the framework of the Alliance, in response to the attacks and all those responsible for them,” the minister added — a signal of escalation in the regional confrontation, in which Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up drone and missile attacks on the Kingdom.

The Mecca pact is the joint defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, and the activation of the collective measures marks the first time the alliance has set its joint response mechanism in motion. In recent days, Saudi authorities have said they intercepted missiles launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh, while Yemen’s government forces are conducting their largest offensive against the rebels in recent years.