Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7.
The diplomatic push came as Saudi Arabia reported another wave of attacks launched from Yemen.
Major-General Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the coalition, warned that any further Houthi escalation would be “dealt with firmly”. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would send military assets to help protect Yanbu. “We are going to send military assets, meaning soldiers, radars and defence systems to protect this site,” Macron said in an interview with TF1 on Thursday.
Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, and Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan discussed the attacks and possible steps under the agreement. The Saudi foreign ministry did not give a date for the military chiefs’ meeting or specify what form of support Saudi Arabia could receive. France has also offered defensive support to Saudi Arabia.
The planned meeting was announced after the foreign ministers of the three countries met in New York on Thursday. Saudi authorities said their air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles fired towards Taif and Yanbu on Thursday.
At least 150 fighters from the Houthi and government-aligned forces were killed in the 24 hours before Friday, according to news agency AFP. The figure included 98 fighters from the government side and 52 Houthis. Their gains have strengthened their position near Bab al-Mandeb, a major global shipping route through which about 12% of global trade normally passes, according to AP.
The Houthis have also expanded their presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including around the port city of Mocha and strategic islands. Yemen’s internationally recognised government has called for greater international involvement. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Vice President Abdullah Abdulkader Al Alimi-Bawzer warned that Houthi control around the strait could have wider economic consequences.