Dancing at Two Weddings: Turkey Commits to Defending Saudi Arabia - and Begs Iran for Help

Turkey is torn between a commitment to defend Saudi Arabia and an attempt to enlist Iran to curb the Houthis, following a deadly attack in Riyadh. Ankara is preparing to expand military aid to the kingdom but fears a deep entry into the fire and is trying to persuade Tehran to use its influence. Experts assess that Iran has no interest in calming the situation.

Turkey finds itself in a strategic dilemma: on one hand, it is preparing to expand military aid to Saudi Arabia following the deadly Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which killed 13 people and wounded over 300. On the other hand, Ankara is turning to Tehran to curb the escalation. According to a report on the Al-Monitor website, Turkey seeks to minimize its direct military exposure and prefers to provide equipment and defensive technical support, fearing deep involvement in the line of fire. However, experts assess that Iran has no real interest in helping and may prefer to allow the Houthis to continue pressuring the Saudis to improve its regional bargaining positions. The current escalation tests the tripartite defense agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, signed in Mecca.