Will the Mecca Alliance Attack the Houthis in Yemen?

Just hours ago, the Houthi forces launched a wave of missiles and drones into southern Saudi Arabia. They targeted cities and energy sites, and the Saudi-led coalition said that at least 73 civilians were injured. The Houthis claim they did this because Saudi Arabia bombed areas in Yemen, including a prison.

Now, the world is watching to see what the Mecca Alliance will do. On Wednesday, Pakistan's Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, gave a strong warning. He stated clearly that there is "no ambiguity" about their promise. He warned the Houthis that if the Yemen conflict spills into Saudi Arabia, the collective defense rules of the Mecca agreement will become active. This has led many people online, including commentators and politicians, to demand that Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia join forces to destroy the Houthi rebels and "Free Yemen".

However, the Defense Minister also clarified that this is a defensive agreement. He said the three countries will not just attack another country on their own, but they will respond if a member is attacked.

Opinion

In my view, this is a very dangerous moment. The Mecca Defense Alliance is brand new, and this is its first real test. If Pakistan and Turkey actually send their militaries to fight the Houthis in Yemen, the war will become much bigger and far more destructive.

While many people on the internet want immediate revenge, I believe the leaders in Pakistan and Turkey will try to use the threat of their large armies to scare the Houthis into stopping the attacks, without actually starting a new ground war. Fighting in Yemen has been terrible for over a decade, and adding two more massive armies to the fight will only hurt innocent civilians even more. Let us hope diplomacy works before the bombs start falling again.