Pak Vows To Defend Saudi Against Iran-Backed Houthis By "Whatever Means"
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has pledged to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels using "whatever means are available" under a new mutual defense pact. The agreement, which also includes Turkey, marks a significant escalation in regional security commitments as Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and maritime routes intensify.
Why it matters
The activation of this trilateral defense pact signals a major shift in Middle Eastern security architecture, potentially drawing nuclear-armed Pakistan and NATO-member Turkey directly into the Yemen conflict.
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.
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