US Representative Joe Wilson has called on Pakistan and Turkiye to join Saudi Arabia in military action against Yemen’s AnsarAllah, claiming that the Yemeni resistance had targeted Mecca. In a post on X, Wilson described Yemen’s AnsarAllah as “Iranian puppets” and alleged that the group was attacking Islamic holy sites. He urged the two countries to work with Riyadh to “destroy” Yemen’s resistance and “liberate Yemen from Iran.”
Wilson’s remarks followed a Saudi-led coalition claim that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca before it entered the city’s restricted airspace. Yemen’s AnsarAllah has categorically rejected the allegation, describing it as “fabrications and lies” and insisting that its operations target Saudi military bases and oil installations far from the holy sites. No independent evidence has publicly established that Mecca was the intended target.
The comments have added to tensions surrounding the recently signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye. The pact, signed on August 7, reportedly states that an armed attack against one member would be treated as an attack against all three, while also calling for closer defence cooperation. Its first major test has emerged amid cross-border attacks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s resistance, placing pressure on Islamabad and Ankara to clarify whether the agreement covers the existing conflict in Yemen.
Pakistan has so far indicated that direct military involvement against Yemen’s resistance is not under discussion. Reports have also cited questions in Islamabad over whether the agreement applies to a conflict that predates the pact and whether it covers attacks by a non-state actor. Analysts say the disagreement exposes uncertainty over the alliance’s scope and whether it creates an automatic obligation to enter the Yemen conflict.
Wilson’s call has been criticised as an attempt to internationalise Saudi aggression on Yemen by invoking the religious significance of Mecca. Yemen’s AnsarAllah has said that Saudi authorities are exploiting the holy city to shape public opinion and justify escalation, while presenting its own operations as retaliation against military and energy infrastructure connected to Saudi aggression. The competing narratives have intensified an already sharp propaganda battle across West Asia.
The controversy also highlights the contradiction between Washington’s stated concern for regional security and its support for military pressure against Yemen. While Wilson framed the issue as a defence of Islamic holy sites, Yemen has denied targeting Mecca, and the available reporting does not independently verify the Saudi claim about the drone’s intended destination. Any decision by Pakistan or Turkiye to participate militarily would risk widening the conflict and drawing both countries directly into Saudi aggression on Yemen.
The episode has therefore transformed the so-called Mecca Alliance from a diplomatic defence arrangement into a potential instrument for regional escalation. Whether Islamabad and Ankara respond to Wilson’s demand remains uncertain, but direct intervention would carry serious political and security consequences. For now, Pakistan and Turkiye face pressure to balance their defence ties with Saudi Arabia against the risks of becoming parties to a broader war in Yemen.
