Saudi Arabia has formally requested Pakistan and Turkey to activate the Mecca Defense Alliance and launch immediate military action against the Houthis in Yemen, according to a report by The Zioneer. The request follows a Houthi missile strike that hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh earlier Saturday.
This evening, Saudi Arabia formally requested Pakistan and Turkey to activate the Mecca Defense Alliance and immediately commence military operations against the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen, a report by The Zioneer states.
The request is a direct response to the Houthi missile strike that scored a direct hit on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport earlier Saturday, as The Zioneer reported at 15:02 Jerusalem. That attack marked the first time the Houthis struck the Saudi capital in the current escalation, with heavy smoke reported at the airport and a fuel tank at a nearby Aramco facility catching fire (19:19 Jerusalem report).
The Mecca Defense Alliance is a triple-defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, reportedly signed in recent weeks. The Houthis, a key proxy of Iran's 'Axis of Resistance,' have been expanding their offensive against Saudi Arabia, including threats to blockade all Saudi ports and airports, as The Zioneer reported on August 11.
Saudi Arabia had previously signaled it may launch a large-scale military operation against the Houthis, even without direct US involvement, according to an American official cited by ABC News on September 12. The kingdom also sought diplomatic and military aid from the United Kingdom in recent weeks. The request to activate the alliance represents a significant acceleration of Saudi efforts to secure a multinational military response against the Houthi threat.
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- StrongBloomberg: Saudi Arabia requests UK diplomatic and military aid against Houthis
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