Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia test limits of Mecca regional security pact

Just a month after Saudi Arabia joined a regional mutual defence pact with Pakistan and Turkey, Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched attacks on the kingdom's energy infrastructure and military sites. This has put the pact's limits to the test during a meeting in Riyadh where military chiefs from the three parties reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence.

The talks centered on intelligence cooperation, military coordination and capability integration to enhance deterrence and collective defence. However, there was no mention of military support from Pakistan and Turkey for Saudi Arabia.

Analysts suggest that the attacks are the first stress test for the agreement, with Chinese analysts believing it unlikely to result in direct intervention from Turkey or Pakistan. China supports regional countries taking more responsibility for their own security and aims to prevent a wider conflict. The Mecca pact, which stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three would be considered an attack against all, does not specify what circumstances would require military intervention or what form such help would take.

The meeting in Riyadh aimed to turn the pact into a more concrete framework and prevent it from becoming a loosely structured initiative.