Saudi Arabia's Defense Pact Fails to Deter Attacks as Regional Tensions Escalate
Riyadh's defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan is seen as an attempt to deter attacks from Iran and its allies, but so far, it has failed to ward off attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping.
The kingdom's military responses have been limited despite facing hundreds of missile and drone attacks from Yemen, Iraq, and Iran. Analysts say Riyadh faces a dilemma: how to protect its economic ambitions without being drawn into a broader conflict in the region sparked by the US-Iran war.
Saudi Arabia has tried to absorb attacks through diplomatic means before resorting to limited military responses, but this approach has been abused by its enemies, who take advantage of Riyadh's reluctance to engage in full-scale warfare. The kingdom has invited 14 regional countries to join a multinational maritime coalition in the Red Sea and is seeking to lead an offensive against Yemen's Houthis with their own government leading the charge.