Hello my friends. I hope you are all doing well. Today I am bringing you a big story from the Middle East, and it also involves Pakistan. Let me explain it in very simple words.
What Happened? The Short Version
This week, Saudi Arabia’s air defence stopped several attacks from the sky. A cruise missile heading toward the Madinah region was intercepted and destroyed on Thursday. On the same day, a drone flying toward Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province was also shot down. A day earlier, on Wednesday, a ballistic missile fired toward the capital city Riyadh was destroyed too.
At the same time, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador and said Pakistan stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia. This means Pakistan fully supports Saudi Arabia’s safety and security.
The Attacks, Day by Day
Thursday: Missile over Madinah, drone in the east
On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile over the Madinah region in western Saudi Arabia. Madinah is one of the holiest cities in Islam, so this news worried many people.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki announced the interception. He did not say who fired the missile or what its exact target was. No casualties or damage were reported from this interception.
Hours earlier on the same day, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a drone heading toward Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. This area is very important because it has major oil production facilities and energy infrastructure.
Wednesday: Missile toward Riyadh
A day earlier, the coalition said it had destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh, the capital. Falling pieces of the destroyed missile injured one person and caused minor damage to a house and a vehicle, according to Saudi Civil Defense.
The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, denied that his group had carried out any attacks against Saudi territory that day. So there are two different claims here: the coalition says it stopped Houthi-fired weapons, while the Houthis deny attacking Saudi land.
Attack on Aden palace
Separately, Yemen’s Houthis launched a missile attack on the presidential palace in Aden, Yemen. At least four people were killed and ten were injured, according to government military sources. The Al-Maashiq Palace is the headquarters of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Who Are the Houthis?
Let me explain this simply. The Houthis are a group in Yemen, a country next to Saudi Arabia. They have controlled Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and several other areas since 2014. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition that supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis.
The current round of fighting became worse in recent months. The Houthis have been firing missiles and drones at Saudi airports, energy facilities, and other buildings. Saudi Arabia says these attacks target civilians and must stop.
You can read more background about the group on Wikipedia’s Houthi movement page.
Pakistan Stands With Saudi Arabia
Now let me tell you about Pakistan’s part in this story. On Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the newly arrived Saudi Ambassador, Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, in Islamabad.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the prime minister “reaffirmed that Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
In simple words: Pakistan promised to fully support Saudi Arabia’s safety, its land, and its people.
The prime minister also strongly condemned the recent Houthi attacks. He said these attacks had caused “the loss of precious lives and injuries to scores of innocent people, including Pakistani nationals.” This is important because many Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia.
The Defence Agreements
PM Shehbaz also talked about two important defence agreements between the two countries:
First, the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, which Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in September last year. It is a bilateral defence pact, which means the two countries promised to defend each other.
Second, the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance, which also includes Turkiye. This trilateral pact says that an attack against any one of these three countries will be treated as an attack against all of them.
The prime minister called these agreements “historic milestones” and said they show the shared commitment of both countries to regional peace and security. If you want to understand how Pakistan thinks about defence partnerships, you may also like my article on the US drone maker’s deal with the Pakistan Army, right here on Pak Unfiltered.
What About Iran?
Some reports describe the Houthis as backed by Iran. Iran has made its own statements about the region. The situation is complex, with many countries involved. What is clear is that the fighting has hurt ordinary people the most, and many countries, including Pakistan, are calling for the attacks to stop immediately.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed a statement by the United Nations Security Council condemning the Houthi attacks. The Kingdom said it has the right under international law to defend its security and protect its citizens.
Why Does This Matter for Pakistan?
You may ask: why should we in Pakistan care about this? There are three simple reasons.
First, millions of Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia. When missiles fly there, our people are in danger too. The prime minister himself mentioned that Pakistani nationals were among those hurt.
Second, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close friends. Saudi Arabia has given Pakistan economic and financial support for many years. Friends stand together in hard times.
Third, the defence agreements mean Pakistan has made formal promises. If Saudi Arabia’s security is threatened, Pakistan has said it will help.
My Honest Take
I will be honest with you. War and missiles never bring anything good. Ordinary people — workers, families, children — always suffer the most.
Pakistan’s message this week was clear: it wants peace, but it will stand by its friend Saudi Arabia. The call for an immediate halt to the attacks is the right call. Every missile that is stopped is good news, but the real good news will be when no missiles are fired at all.
Take care,
Maryam
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