Mecca Agreement Activated: 3 Powers Unite Against Houthi Terror

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan activate the joint defense agreement of Mecca following a widespread missile and drone attack by the Houthis targeting Mecca, Jeddah, and Yanbu. Foreign ministers convened in Riyadh and announced an emergency meeting of chiefs of staff. The Saudi Grand Mufti called on soldiers to sacrifice their lives. Meanwhile, Iran distances itself from the Houthis and offers the US a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan announced the activation of the joint defense agreement of Mecca, in direct response to a widespread missile and drone attack launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen against the kingdom's territory. The foreign ministers of the three countries convened in Riyadh and announced an immediate emergency meeting of the chiefs of staff. The implication: activation of a clause in the agreement stating that an attack on one is equivalent to an attack on all. The attack included dozens of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles targeting strategic sites in Saudi Arabia, including the holy city of Mecca, the port city of Jeddah, and the Yanbu area, which houses the kingdom's main oil export terminal. The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia issued an unusual call for army soldiers to be willing to sacrifice their lives in fighting until the eradication of Houthi rule in Yemen. Meanwhile, Iran is trying to distance itself from the escalation. The Iranian president claimed in an interview with Fox News that the Houthis act on their own, but intelligence sources emphasize that recent operations are carried out with the accompaniment of the Revolutionary Guards. The Iranian foreign minister revealed a proposal to the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief.