Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia in any conflict, says Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia in any conflict, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security amid renewed tensions involving Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

“We are there to help Saudi Arabia in any conflict, whether it is coming from the Houthis or a country or any other outfit that threatens Saudi Arabia’s security. We will be there to defend them,” Asif said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

His remarks come as fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni government has intensified, with Riyadh becoming increasingly involved in the conflict.

The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and targeted ships in the Red Sea, while both sides have claimed attacks against each other.

Pakistan has recently reaffirmed its security commitments to Saudi Arabia under bilateral and multilateral defence arrangements.

On September 18, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan would go “to any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia, describing Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security as “unconditional.”

Asif had also previously said Pakistan would stand by Saudi Arabia “practically and diplomatically” against the Houthis if the situation escalated.

In his latest remarks, the defence minister said there was “absolutely no doubt” that the Houthis were committing aggression against Saudi Arabia.

He said Pakistan was bound by an arrangement to defend the kingdom, adding that “whatever means are available at our disposal, they will be available to Saudi Arabia also.”

Asif appeared to be referring to Pakistan’s defence agreements with Saudi Arabia.

The two countries signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) in September 2025, under which an attack on either country is to be treated as an act of aggression against both.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are also part of the Makkah Defence Alliance with Türkiye. Signed on August 7, the pact provides for an attack on one member to be treated as an attack on all.

The military chiefs of the three countries met in Riyadh last week and expressed a shared determination to “immediately translate” their commitments under the alliance into effective military cooperation.

In his Al Jazeera interview, Asif described the Houthis as “enemies of Saudi Arabia,” saying “any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan.”

He also said Iran does not accept the Houthis as its proxy.

“Some of these proxies have become rogue. I don’t have to go into history, I can give you multiple examples of that,” Asif said, adding that proxy groups launched by countries could develop their own agendas and eventually become “rogue” entities.