Israel's Maariv newspaper reported Wednesday that Pakistan has delivered an unusually sharp warning to Tehran, demanding it rein in its Houthi allies after a heavy missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia left 73 people wounded — a move that risks drawing new powers into direct confrontation over the widening Yemen conflict.
According to the Maariv report, by correspondent Eli Leon, Houthi rebels fired a large barrage at the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and nearby oil infrastructure. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed strikes on Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, with women and children among the wounded. Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry acknowledged fires and a "temporary halt in some operations" at energy facilities; the 400,000-barrel-per-day Jazan refinery, damaged in an earlier strike cycle in late July, was again caught in the escalation.
Riyadh's response was swift. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed Saudi jets carried out 54 airstrikes across six Yemeni provinces — Al-Jawf, Marib, Taiz, Hodeidah, Saada and Al-Bayda — within just 12 hours. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the full figures.
What elevates the crisis, Maariv noted, is Islamabad's intervention. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on local television that an attack on Saudi Arabia could activate the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a trilateral mutual-defense pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7. Under its core NATO-style provision, aggression against one member is considered aggression against all three. "If there is unprovoked aggression, or a spillover of whatever is happening in Yemen into Saudi Arabia, definitely the Mecca agreement will become operational," Asif told Al Jazeera. Military representatives of the three countries have already met in Riyadh to coordinate positions.
Pakistani officials stressed the alliance is defensive in nature: Pakistani forces could help defend Saudi territory with air or technical assistance but would not fight on Yemeni soil.
Tehran's reply was defiant. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the Pakistani message had been received, but insisted Iran does not control the Houthis. That denial rings hollow for many observers — a Reuters exclusive in July revealed Iran had flown IRGC commanders, advisers and missile equipment to the Houthis, and Maariv cited Iranian sources acknowledging Tehran encouraged the rebels to escalate, promising additional weapons and funding.
Meanwhile, the ground war is shifting dangerously. Houthi forces have advanced along Yemen's western coast toward the strategic port of Al-Mokha, adjacent to the Bab el-Mandeb strait — one of the world's most vital shipping lanes. Pro-government forces withdrew from Hays and Al-Khokha in what one commander called a "tactical retreat." Houthi-affiliated media claimed fighters had entered parts of the city, though no independent verification exists.
The fighting is the deadliest since the UN-brokered 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,000 people have been killed or wounded since late August, with over 21,000 displaced this month alone.
With Washington showing no signs of easing its economic blockade of Iranian ports, Maariv concluded, Tehran faces a perilous test of endurance — while its pressure is producing the opposite of its aim: pushing Sunni Muslim powers into tighter alignment than ever before.