Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey sign Nato-style defence pact amid deadly Houthi strikes in Yemen

What Happened

On Thursday, Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched missile and drone strikes against Yemeni government military camps in Marib and Hadramout provinces, killing at least 30 troops, according to government sources; some reports put the toll as high as 58. The Houthis claimed they acted in response to a large Saudi military buildup and said they destroyed camps, weapons depots, and vehicles. Yemen's defence ministry vowed retaliation 'at the appropriate place and time'. Early Friday, Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, accused the Houthis of indiscriminately shelling civilian areas in southern Najran province, Saudi Arabia, injuring 11 civilians—seven Saudis, one Yemeni, two Egyptians, and one Pakistani—including a four-year-old child. A senior Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence from Saudi Arabia, the US, and other regional countries indicated that Iraqi militias and the Houthis, under the supervision of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), were preparing imminent coordinated attacks on civilian and economic sites, including energy infrastructure, ports, and airports, with drones and missiles reportedly moved for strikes from both north and south.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The escalation extends the US-Israeli war with Iran into Yemen and Saudi Arabia, threatening to destabilise a key US ally and disrupt global oil flows. Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and a declared Red Sea naval blockade raise the stakes for energy markets, while Saudi expectations of IRGC-coordinated strikes from Iraqi militias and Houthis signal a potential wider regional conflagration. Concurrent Oman-mediated negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz indicate that Iran may be leveraging proxy pressure to secure concessions on port blockades, further intertwining diplomatic and military fronts.

Watch For

Imminent coordinated attacks by Iraqi militias and the Houthis on Saudi civilian and economic sites, as warned by Saudi officials. The promised Yemeni government retaliation and any Saudi-led military offensive by sea or land against the Houthis. Progress or breakdown in Iran-Oman Strait of Hormuz negotiations, which may be contingent on US sanctions relief. Further Houthi strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities or Red Sea shipping.