Pakistan Says Houthi Strikes on Saudi Arabia May Trigger Joint Defence Agreement

Pakistan has said that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could activate a joint defence agreement between the two countries, according to Al Jazeera. The comment came as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi forces deepened, with the Yemeni rebel group reporting fresh Saudi strikes, The Hindu reports.

The attacks have caused fires at oil facilities and wounded 73 people, according to AP News. India condemned the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, saying they threaten freedom of navigation, News On AIR reported. NDTV described the situation as a test for what it called an "Islamic NATO" — a reference to the Saudi-Pakistan defence arrangement.

The reporting points to a widening conflict with consequences beyond Yemen's borders. Strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure carry implications for global energy supplies, while the threat to shipping lanes draws in countries that depend on those routes, including India, which framed its condemnation around freedom of navigation.

houthi attacks

Pakistan's statement adds a further dimension: if the pact is invoked, a military partner with nuclear weapons could be drawn more directly into the confrontation. Al Jazeera's report did not specify what conditions would trigger the agreement or what response Pakistan might take.

What to watch next is whether Pakistan moves beyond signalling and formally invokes the defence pact, and whether the Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and the Saudi strikes inside Yemen continue to escalate.