By Timour Azhari and Hatem Maher
RIYADH/CAIRO, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold an urgent, high-level meeting under a joint defense pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid escalating Houthi attacks, as Tehran seeks to distance itself from its allies’ actions.
The Houthis have intensified strikes against the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and repeatedly launched missiles into Saudi territory, disrupting oil exports from the world’s largest energy producer as part of a broader Middle East conflict that escalated following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
Thegroup claims to have launched multiple missiles and drones targeting Saudi targets on Thursday, while Saudi authorities reported intercepting six ballistic missiles fired by Houthi fighters.
Saudi Arabia issued emergency alerts for key areas including the holy city of Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu, the primary Red Sea oil port.
The kingdom’s top religious authority called on soldiers to prepare to sacrifice their lives to expel the Houthis from power, according to a statement from the Saudi state news agency.
Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey convened under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, condemning attacks on Mecca and other civilian targets while affirming Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defense. The agreement stipulates that an attack on any signatory constitutes an attack on all, they said.
The meeting followed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s attempt to distance Iran from the Houthis’ escalations during a television interview with Fox News.
“The Houthis are responsible for their own actions,” Pezeshkian stated, a day after addressing the UN General Assembly in New York.
Simultaneously, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz to the U.S. through intermediaries, contingent on Tehran’s conditions being met. The six-point proposal includes ending hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon, within seven days, lifting U.S. sanctions on Iranian ports, releasing frozen Iranian funds, and waiving oil sanctions, with subsequent discussions on Iran’s nuclear issue.
A senior Iranian official indicated Tehran is reviewing Washington’s response to its peace initiatives.
The conflict, initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel in February, has caused thousands of deaths and disrupted global energy supplies, driving up oil prices. While direct U.S.-Iran combat has largely paused, Iranian proxies continue operations, with Hezbollah clashing with Israel in Lebanon and the Houthis advancing in Yemen.
These allied forces have significantly constrained Saudi oil exports. The Houthis have disrupted Red Sea shipping lanes, while Iran has limited tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil exports transit before the war. An Iranian-backed militia attack in Iraq temporarily disrupted Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline.
Security analysts remain divided on Iran’s direct influence over the Houthis, a Shia Islamist group that evolved from a local rebellion to control northern Yemen. However, Yemeni, Iranian and regional sources confirm Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps guidance during the Houthis’ coastal advance.
In response to the stalemate, the U.S. is expanding financial sanctions via “secondary sanctions” targeting third-country companies engaging with Iranian firms. New restrictions banned Iranian airlines from regional partners like the UAE and Oman, potentially deepening Iran’s economic isolation amid its existing maritime blockade.
“We are living in an open-air prison,” a Tehran-based teacher told Reuters anonymously via text message.
(Reporting by Timour Azhari in Riyadh, Hatem Maher in Cairo and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Writing by Daniel Trotta; editing by Lincoln Feast.)
