Pakistan vows to defend Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthis by
‘whatever means’
[September 30, 2026]
By TRISHA THOMAS
ROME (AP) — Pakistan will use “whatever means are available” to defend
Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the country’s defense
minister said Tuesday, offering one of Islamabad’s clearest indications
yet that it could become directly involved in the widening regional
conflict.
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif declined to say whether Pakistani
forces had already participated in airstrikes. He said, however, that
Pakistan’s military capabilities would be available to Saudi Arabia
under a new mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
“I’m not going into detail, but obviously when I say that we are bound
by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that means whatever means
are available at our disposal, they’ll be available to Saudi Arabia
also. I think that’s a categoric statement,” Asif told reporters during
a visit to Rome when asked whether Pakistan had been involved in
airstrikes against Iranian operators in Yemen.
His response did not explicitly confirm Pakistani participation in any
strikes. He also did not say whether Saudi Arabia, which has been
repeatedly attacked by the Houthis in recent weeks, had asked for
assistance.
Military commanders recently met
His comments came days after the army chiefs of Pakistan, Turkey and
Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh to discuss responses to Houthi attacks.
Asif said the Houthis had intensified missile and drone attacks on Saudi
Arabia and expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The Houthis recently captured the strategic port city of Mokha and
several Red Sea islands, extending their reach toward the Bab el-Mandeb
Strait, a maritime route through which about 12% of global trade passes.
They, along with allied militias in Iraq, also have attacked Saudi oil
facilities and sought to prevent Saudi tankers from using the strait.
New alliance is still taking shape
Asif described the Houthis as aggressors and said Pakistan’s commitment
to Saudi Arabia was unambiguous.
“Any enemy of Saudi Arabia is enemy of Pakistan. That should be very
clear,” he said.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defense
Agreement on Aug. 7, declaring that an attack on one member would be
treated as an attack on all three. The countries have described the pact
as defensive and said it is not directed against any particular state.
The agreement brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia, NATO member Turkey
and nuclear-armed Pakistan. Asif did not mention nuclear weapons or
suggest they were part of Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia.
[to top of second column]
|
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, left, speaks with
media at the Pakistani Embassy in Rome, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 29,
2026. At right Pakistan's Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed looks on.
(AP Photo/Andrea Rosa)
The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has created an
early test for the alliance. The pact’s full text has not been
released, and its command and operational structures are still being
developed. Asif said the three countries were establishing a
secretariat and putting the alliance’s framework in place.
Other countries have expressed interest in joining, he said, but
there were no immediate plans to expand the alliance.
Asif said the alliance reflected a belief among its members that
existing security arrangements had failed to protect Gulf countries
as the conflict involving Iran spread across the region.
“Once you start a conflict, you cannot control the outcome of that
conflict. You cannot control the trajectory of that conflict,” he
said.
Pakistan retains ties with Iran
Iran has long supplied the Houthis with weapons and other
assistance, though Tehran denies directing their military
operations. Asif suggested the Houthis and some Iraqi militias might
now act with substantial independence from Iran.
“Some of these proxies, they become rogue,” he said.
Despite Pakistan’s willingness to support Saudi Arabia militarily,
Asif said Islamabad also was pressing for negotiations to end the
broader conflict involving Iran and supported reviving a negotiated
agreement over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Pakistan sought to establish itself as a mediator earlier this year,
working with other countries in the region to end the conflict.
While indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran have resumed through
mediators, Asif provided no details on Pakistan's involvement in the
latest efforts.
In April, Pakistan hosted rare direct talks between Iran and the
United States in Islamabad. The two sides reached an interim
agreement in June and committed to trying to reach a final deal
within 60 days, but the deadline passed after hostilities resumed.
Top diplomats from Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia also met
recently on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to discuss
implementing the new defense pact and coordinating a response to
attacks targeting Mecca and other sites in Saudi Arabia.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
