I Thought Saudi had a Joint Defense Agreement with Turkey!

Saudi Arabia says Houthi drone intercepted near Mecca, warns holy sites are a “red line”*

Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, September 15, before it entered the holy city’s restricted airspace, according to the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition blamed Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki called the security of Islam’s holiest sites and pilgrims a “red line,” warning that the coalition would take deterrent measures against the Houthis. The group denied targeting Mecca or other holy sites.

Al-Malki described this as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, citing a ballistic-missile incident in July 2017. However, the coalition also reported a missile launch toward Mecca in October 2016, so the claim that this was “only the second attack ever” is not established.

 So what happened with the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement?

Turkey recently made a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, forming what is officially called the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. 

This trilateral pact was signed on August 7, 2026, in Mecca

What a joke!