Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have concluded a joint defense pact. The three states now face a concrete military crisis. The Iran-backed Houthis have captured the Yemeni port city of Mokha and the strategically important island of Perim in the Bab al-Mandab strait. Saudi Arabia is preparing a counteroffensive. Pakistan has dispatched military equipment and advisers. Saudi Arabia is already deploying Turkish drones purchased earlier. A senior Israeli official described the alliance to Ynet as directed against Israel.

On August 7, 2026, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca. An armed attack on any one of the three states is to be regarded in future as an attack on all of them. This is confirmed by the joint statement issued by the three governments.

Turkey is a NATO member. President Erdoğan explicitly does not describe Hamas as a terrorist organization, as his statements to NBC News show. Pakistan is the only Muslim nuclear power. Saudi Arabia contributes its economic strength and strategic position on the Arabian Peninsula.

The three governments present the agreement as an instrument of regional security, particularly with regard to Iran. An unnamed senior Israeli official described the alliance to Ynet explicitly as directed against Israel. He warned of Turkey’s role and described Erdoğan as a threat.

Houthis control strategic positions at Bab al-Mandab

In September, the Iran-backed Houthis advanced along the Yemeni coast. On September 10, they captured the port city of Mokha, according to Deutsche Welle, citing Reuters, AP and AFP . One day later, according to Yemeni government representatives, they took control of the island of Perim, also known as Mayyun. The Saudi-backed government forces had withdrawn from the island. The coastal city of Dhubab also fell to the militia.

Perim lies directly in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The island is therefore of particular military and economic importance. It lies at the transition from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Together with the coastal positions, its control gives the Houthis the ability to threaten shipping traffic at this bottleneck.

Passende X-Beiträge

Aus dem SCHLAGSEITE X-Archiv

Mena-Watch 02.10.2026 · 06:55 Uhr Saudi-Arabien steckt in Schwierigkeiten, da die vom Iran unterstützten Huthi-Milizen nun die Meerenge von Bab al-Mandab kontrollieren – und Hilfe aus der Türkei und… MOSSADiL 03.10.2026 · 04:00 Uhr HUTHI-SPRACHROHR DROHT MIT INVASION SAUDI-ARABIENS UND BLOCKADE DES ROTEN MEERES Das jemenitische Huthi-Sprachrohr Hussein Albukhaiti drohte mit einer Invasion Saudi-Arabiens und damit, pakistanische, türkische… Mena-Watch 18.09.2026 · 14:06 Uhr Heute bei Mena-Watch: Mokka ist eine Warnung: Die Huthi haben es auf den Bab al-Mandab abgesehen MOSSADiL 11.10.2026 · 07:59 Uhr JETZT: Heftige saudische Luftangriffe im Jemen gegen mehrere Ziele der Huthi. MOSSADiL 23.09.2026 · 05:46 Uhr EILMELDUNG: Die Huthi behaupten, eine bewaffnete Aufklärungsdrohne des Typs Wing Loong II aus Saudi-Arabien über al-Mucha in der jemenitischen Provinz Taiz abgeschossen zu haben.…

This development is particularly problematic for Saudi Arabia. Due to the restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, the east-west pipeline to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea has gained considerably in importance. From there, Saudi oil can reach Europe via the Suez Canal. Ships sailing from the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean, by contrast, must pass through Bab al-Mandab.

Even the threat of further missile and drone attacks may prompt shipping companies to change routes or take additional security measures. The Houthis thus have access to a strategic position whose significance extends far beyond the Yemeni civil war.

Mecca Agreement: Joint Deterrence and Military Coordination

The Mecca Agreement is intended to strengthen joint deterrence and expand military cooperation among the three states. According to the agreement, an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all three states. The published statement does not establish an automatic deployment of joint combat troops.

On September 25, the highest-ranking military representatives of the three states met in Riyadh. According to Reuters, they discussed information sharing, military coordination and joint capabilities. They condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Four transport aircraft, advisers and Turkish drones

According to a Reuters report dated October 2Islamabad sent four transport aircraft carrying military equipment to Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, in September, according to a Pakistani government official. The cargo included air defense systems, light artillery, drones and counter-drone systems.

Pakistani military advisers are on the ground alongside Saudi forces, according to several officials interviewed by Reuters. They are supporting the Saudi-led operations in support of Yemeni government troops.

Saudi Arabia is also deploying Turkish drones over Yemen. Riyadh had purchased them before the current escalation.

According to Reuters, Pakistan has stationed troops to defend Saudi territory. A combat deployment of these soldiers in Yemen has not been decided, according to a Pakistani government official. Turkish combat troops are also not involved in the planned offensive, according to the reports available.

Trump rejected direct American airstrikes

Saudi Arabia had also asked the United States for stronger military support. According to a Reuters report U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s request for direct American attacks on the Houthis.

Washington continues to provide intelligence and make advisers available who support, among other things, Saudi air operations. According to informants interviewed by Reuters, direct American involvement in the planned combat missions is not envisaged.

Saudi planning is therefore relying on Yemeni ground forces under Saudi leadership and on Saudi airstrikes. According to six people familiar with the preparations, Riyadh is considering two options: a limited operation to recapture the coastal areas around Bab al-Mandab or a larger attack on several fronts.

The involvement of more than 100,000 Yemeni soldiers is being considered depending on the scope of the operation. No precise start date has been officially announced. Reuters relies for the details on unnamed regional and Western informants. The Houthi offensive and the ensuing clashes have after Information from the World Food Programme tens of thousands of people already displaced.

The kingdom had already intervened in the Yemeni civil war in 2015 with a military coalition. Following the 2022 ceasefire, the fighting declined significantly for a time. The Houthis’ recent territorial gains have once again altered the military situation.

Iran arms the Houthis while simultaneously calling for talks

Iran has been providing military support to the Houthis for years. The militia now holds important positions at Bab al-Mandab and continues its attacks. According to Pakistani officials, Tehran also put forward a proposal for the Houthis’ political integration.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on October 2 that the three members of the Mecca Agreement would discuss the Iranian suggestion the following week at an emergency meeting in Riyadh. According to Reuters Dar did not speak of a written offer, but rather of an exchange of ideas between foreign ministers.

Dar reported that Iranian representatives had distanced themselves from certain activities by the Houthis and Iraqi militias. An end to Iran’s arms deliveries or other military support has not been established.

Houthis threaten Israel and international shipping

With Mocha and Perim, the same Iran-backed militia controls strategic positions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which since the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023 has repeatedly attacked Israel and international shipping with missiles and drones.

Defense pact concluded, Houthis hold Bab al-Mandab

The Mecca Agreement has been signed. At Bab al-Mandab, it is becoming clear what it is so far. Saudi Arabia is planning to retake it. Pakistan has sent military equipment and advisers; Riyadh is already deploying Turkish drones purchased earlier. The involvement of Turkish or Pakistani combat troops in the planned ground offensive has not been documented so far. The Houthis continue to be supported by Iran and have been attacking Israel and shipping since October 7, 2023. The mutual assistance pact has so far not ended the militia’s control over the strategically important strait.