On September 20, Xinhua news agency quoted international media as saying that the wave of attacks by Houthi forces in Yemen with missiles and drones is pushing Saudi Arabia into a particularly dangerous situation when its air defense missile interceptor stockpile is almost depleted.
Previously, in the early morning of September 19 (local time), the Houthi deployed two military operations targeting sensitive targets in Riyadh and the Aramco Oil and Gas Group facility in the port city of Yanbu in the Red Sea, implementing the motto of escalating retaliation. The incident caused dense black smoke to rise near King Khalid International Airport in northeastern Riyadh.
According to media reports, many Middle East officials confirmed that Riyadh had urgently requested France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to provide air defense firepower on September 19.
On the US side, the Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it still maintains a working group to strengthen intelligence sharing and support Saudi Arabia in planning. However, it has no intention of directly intervening in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi forces.
The weakening defense situation also puts the Mecca Mutual Defense Treaty just signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in August 2026 into a practical test of the Treaty's sustainability.
The commitment to "protection at all costs" from the Pakistani army on September 17 and the statement of "readiness to support" by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on September 19 are still at the diplomatic level, as by the end of September 19, both countries had not activated any specific military support options for Riyadh.
