ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye on Friday strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and pledged close coordination on regional issues, including under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement signed by the three countries.

The commitment came as Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Istanbul, ahead of talks involving four regional powers and European countries aimed at addressing escalating regional tensions amid the US-Iran war.

“The Ministers expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a social media post. “They also condemned the Houthi attacks targeting the Kingdom and underscored the importance of respecting state sovereignty.”

Yemen-based Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, targeting airports and energy infrastructure amid widening regional tensions linked to the US-Iran war. On Wednesday, four people were killed in separate strikes in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province targeting an Aramco processing facility at the Shaybah oil field and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, has longstanding defense ties with Saudi Arabia and signed the trilateral Makkah Joint Defense Agreement with Riyadh and Ankara in August. The pact stipulates that an armed attack on one member will be considered an attack on all three.

Dar thanked Fidan for hosting the meeting of the R-4 group, which brings together Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and a wider meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday it would be the first meeting of the countries in this format.

Dar and Fidan also discussed the situation in the Middle East and Palestine, according to the statement, and agreed to deepen cooperation “across all areas of mutual interest, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.”