Saudi Arabia is facing a major escalation with Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces after a series of missile and drone attacks targeted southern Saudi cities and energy infrastructure. The latest assault reportedly injured 73 people and hit areas including Khamis Mushait, Abha, Najran and Jizan. Saudi authorities have described the attacks as a serious escalation.The attacks are now putting Pakistan’s defence commitments to Saudi Arabia under the spotlight. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a mutual defence agreement, while Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye also signed the Mecca Joint Deterrence Agreement in August 2026. The pact has raised questions over how far Islamabad would go if Saudi territory comes under sustained attack.Pakistan has now issued a strong warning to the Houthis, saying that an attack on Saudi territory would be treated as an attack requiring a collective response under the defence arrangement. However, analysts continue to debate whether the pact amounts to an automatic military commitment similar to NATO’s Article 5. n18oc_the-hard-factsn18oc_indiaNews18 Mobile App – https://onelink.to/desc-youtube