ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign and defense ministers and army chief will attend talks in Riyadh today, Monday, under a mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said amid escalating tensions over Yemen.

The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement on Aug. 7, pledging to regard an armed attack against any one of them as an attack against all. The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence and deepen their security cooperation.

Monday’s meeting comes a day after the leader of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government announced a military offensive to seize territory controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis. The talks also provide a forum to consider diplomatic engagement with the group following its recent attacks, an approach Pakistan said Iran had proposed.

“The meeting will discuss latest developments in the region and review ongoing cooperation under the framework of the Makkah Agreement,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement on Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will represent Pakistan at the meeting of the agreement’s Strategic Political and Defense Committee.

Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers, defense ministers and military chiefs will also participate, the ministry said.

Dar said Friday that Iran had suggested engaging the Houthis politically and that the proposal would be discussed by the pact’s committee in Riyadh. The Pakistani statement on Monday did not announce any agreed response to the latest developments in Yemen.

Türkiye’s foreign ministry said Sunday that the discussions would also assess progress in establishing the alliance’s institutional arrangements.

The committee first met in Istanbul on Aug. 31, when the three countries agreed to develop their cooperation to strengthen the credibility and effectiveness of their collective defense commitments.