Iran comments on reports about sending Pakistani forces to Saudi Arabia against the Houthis

On Sunday, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its hope that the reports circulating about Pakistan sending forces to Saudi Arabia to participate in the war against the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen are not true, warning that any new interference in developments related to Yemen would further complicate the situation. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said in a ministry statement on Sunday: “We have heard this rumor, and we hope that it is not true and that it is just a rumor.”

Baqaei added: “Because we, as well as the countries of the region, know that any new interference in developments related to Yemen increases the complexity of the situation.” The Iranian official's statements come at a time when speculation is increasing about the role that Pakistan may play in supporting Saudi Arabia in confronting the Houthi group, after Islamabad announced its commitment to defending the Kingdom within the framework of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement concluded by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan last August.

Pakistani Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said a few days ago that his country would use “all available means” to defend Saudi Arabia, but he did not confirm whether Pakistani forces actually participated in air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. Asif said during a visit to Rome: “Pakistani military capabilities will be available to Saudi Arabia under the new mutual defense treaty with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.”

On October 2, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a press conference in Islamabad that ministers and prominent government officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold a meeting in Riyadh next week, within the framework of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between the three countries. Ishaq Dar added that the foreign and defense ministers and army commanders from the three countries will meet next week “to review the latest developments and the field reality, especially with regard to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” stressing: “We are committed to defending Saudi Arabia.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which stipulates that any attack targeting any of them “is considered an attack against all of them.” This agreement comes at a time when Riyadh faces threats on multiple fronts, including threats from the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen, while the group’s recent strikes on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting the capital, Riyadh, have put the strategic agreement to the test.