Houthi attack near Makkah, Madina: Pakistan condemns it as Asim Munir joins Tehran talks

Pakistan on Monday, 26 October, condemned Houthi missile attacks that reached Saudi Arabia’s Makkah and Madina regions, calling them “a grave violation” of Saudi sovereignty. On the same day, Field Marshal Asim Munir travelled to Tehran with senior Saudi and Turkish officials, the first joint visit by all three members of the Makkah Defence Alliance since Saudi Arabia was pulled deeper into the regional war.

What happened in Makkah and Madina?

On Saturday, 24 October, Yemen’s Houthis fired missiles and drones at several Saudi targets. Their spokesperson Yahya Saree listed Riyadh’s King Khalid airport, an Aramco site in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, the East-West oil pipeline, Dammam’s airport and military sites in the south, Dawn reported.

The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Yanbu and Taif. Saudi Civil Defence said debris from intercepted missiles fell in the Makkah and Madina regions, including Wadi al-Mughammas in the Makkah area, and in parts of Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh, and issued brief alerts for those cities.

The Houthis later denied aiming at the holy cities and said they were targeting “Saudi oil facilities and military bases”. No casualties from the Makkah and Madina incidents have been reported. Separately, Dawn carried reports that Houthi strikes on other Saudi sites had killed four more people.

What did Pakistan say?

The Foreign Office called the attacks “reprehensible” and said they showed “a blatant disregard for the sanctity of Islam’s holiest sites and the safety of civilians”, according to The Express Tribune. It reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the Makkah alliance, backed the protection of the Two Holy Mosques and praised Saudi air defences. The Makkah-based Muslim World League had condemned the attacks a day earlier.

It is not Pakistan’s first such statement: on 29 September the Foreign Office condemned a Houthi strike on the Taibah power station in Madina, which supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque.

Why Asim Munir is in Tehran

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an attack on one counts as an attack on all three. That is why these strikes matter in Islamabad and not only in Riyadh.

Iranian security official Ali Bagheri Kani named the visitors as Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Munir, Dawn reported. ISPR confirmed Munir’s trip without details. Saudi deputy minister Rayed Krimly said the visit supports de-escalation and the mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan. The group is due to meet President Masoud Pezeshkian.

What it means for pilgrims

No new advice for Umrah pilgrims had been issued by Pakistan or Saudi Arabia at the time of writing, and neither Foreign Office statement mentioned pilgrims. PIA’s Riyadh flights had already been suspended after earlier attacks on the capital’s airport, as we reported on Sunday; anyone travelling should check with their airline before leaving.

What comes out of the Tehran meeting is the next thing to watch.