Allies Unite Against Houthi Attacks as Oil Prices Soar
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are preparing an urgent meeting of their chiefs of general staff to discuss support for Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi attacks. The talks will take place under a joint defense agreement between the three countries.
The Houthis said they had launched dozens of missiles and drones at targets in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, with the kingdom reporting six intercepted ballistic missiles. The attacks disrupted shipping near the entrance to the Red Sea and have driven up oil prices.
Saudi authorities issued air raid alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, and Yanbu, its main Red Sea oil port. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, condemning the attacks on civilian sites and affirming the kingdom's right to self-defense.
The agreement stipulates that an attack on one member country will be considered an attack on all of them. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian distanced his government from the Houthis, saying 'The Houthis are responsible for their own actions.'