New York, September 25, 2026: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have begun arrangements for an emergency meeting of the military chiefs of the three countries following recent missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia, with discussions expected to focus on possible ways of supporting Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.According to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a meeting in New York, where they reviewed security and defence cooperation among the three countries, including developments under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the three foreign ministers discussed arrangements for an emergency meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye under the agreement. The meeting is intended to examine possible mechanisms for supporting Saudi Arabia. However, the final date and venue of the meeting, as well as details of any specific military measures that may be considered, have not yet been announced.Under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the three countries have agreed to strengthen collective defence and security cooperation. One of the agreement’s core principles is that an attack against any one of the participating countries would be treated as a matter concerning the security of all three members.The first meeting of the agreement’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee was held in Istanbul on August 31. Foreign ministers, defence ministers and senior military officials from the three countries participated in the meeting. The participants also agreed to establish a secretariat for the agreement in Saudi Arabia and to further institutionalise defence cooperation.The latest trilateral consultations come as Saudi Arabia has reported a new wave of missile attacks launched by the Houthis from Yemen. According to Saudi authorities, the country’s air defence systems intercepted six ballistic missiles reportedly heading towards Taif and Yanbu.The Houthis, meanwhile, have claimed that they targeted a sensitive site in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Saudi authorities have also issued emergency alerts for several areas, including Makkah, Jeddah and Yanbu.During their meeting in New York, the Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish foreign ministers condemned attacks targeting civilian and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and expressed support for the Kingdom’s right to self-defence.According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the three countries also reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.The latest meeting follows a September 22 meeting in New York involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt. In a joint statement issued after that meeting, the four countries condemned the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.However, the latest development should not be interpreted as a final decision by Pakistan or Türkiye to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia or participate directly in military operations against the Houthis. The information officially available so far indicates that the three foreign ministers discussed arrangements for an emergency meeting of their military chiefs. The nature of any possible practical defence measures would become clearer after that meeting and subsequent consultations.Meanwhile, France has also announced defence assistance for Saudi Arabia. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France intends to deploy military personnel, radar and defence systems to help protect Yanbu, the strategically important Saudi port city on the Red Sea.The latest Houthi attacks have therefore intensified regional security consultations, while defence coordination between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement has entered an important phase. The outcome of the expected meeting of the three countries’ military chiefs and any subsequent operational defence measures, however, remain to be determined.