Saudi Arabia Invokes Joint Defence Pact Against Houthis — SkimNews
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- Saudi Arabia will convene an urgent meeting of Turkish, Pakistani, and Saudi military chiefs under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August, which treats an attack on any party as an attack on all.
- Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti called on soldiers to be ready to lay down their lives fighting the Houthis until the group is ousted from power, according to a late-Thursday statement.
- Houthi fighters fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets; Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles and issued emergency alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, and the Yanbu Red Sea oil port.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian distanced Tehran from the Houthis in a Fox News interview, saying "The Houthis are responsible for their own actions," a day after addressing the UN General Assembly.
- Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US lifts its port blockade, releases frozen funds, and waives oil sanctions, with hostilities ending on all fronts including Lebanon.
- Oil prices fell Friday on the possibility of a truce, even though only nine ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday — half the 10-day average.
- Turkey's parliament has not yet ratified the joint defence agreement, so any military support at this stage would remain bilateral, Ankara officials said.
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia is activating a three-nation defense pact as Iran's president distances Tehran from the Houthis and offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US lifts its port blockade, releases frozen funds, and drops oil sanctions — terms that, if accepted, would unwind a major pressure point on Tehran and end hostilities across all fronts including Lebanon.
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