Pakistan bound to defend Saudi Arabia with ‘whatever means’ at disposal: Khawaja Asif

Defence minister says any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said Pakistan was bound by its agreement with Saudi Arabia to come to the kingdom’s defence against any threat, stressing that all available means at Islamabad’s disposal would also be made available to Riyadh.

The remarks come amid continued regional tensions and underline Islamabad’s stated commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security under its bilateral defence arrangements.

“We are bound by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that means whatever means that are available at our disposal, they’ll be available to Saudi Arabia also,” the defence minister said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

Speaking about the Houthis, Asif said there was “absolutely no doubt” in Pakistan’s position that the group was committing aggression against Saudi Arabia.

“We are there to help Saudi Arabia in any conflict, whether it is coming from Houthis or a country or any other outfit which threatens Saudi Arabia’s security. We will be there to defend them,” he said.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif says Islamabad will make “whatever means” available to Saudi Arabia under a new mutual defence pact if Riyadh faces threats from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. pic.twitter.com/Qvb9GXTgbT

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 30, 2026

The defence minister described the Houthis as enemies of Saudi Arabia.

“Any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan,” Asif added, stressing that the position should be “very clear”.

On Iran’s relationship with the Houthis, the defence minister said Tehran did not accept the group as its proxy. He explained that some proxies go rogue.

Asif said proxy groups could, over time, develop agendas and capabilities of their own, citing the broader phenomenon of armed groups becoming independent of those who initially supported them.

Read: Pakistan reaffirms support for Saudi Arabia

“Some country, A, B or C, they launch a proxy and then [the] proxy has its own way of multiplying and then becoming a rogue sort of entity,” he outlined.

The Houthis have repeatedly carried out missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia since the Yemen war escalated in 2015. Their targets included Saudi military installations, airports, oil facilities and other critical infrastructure.

In September 2019, the group claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq processing facility and Khurais oil field, attacks that temporarily disrupted more than half of Saudi Arabia’s crude production.

The attacks continued in subsequent years, including strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure in March 2022.

More recently, Houthi attacks have again targeted Saudi territory. In September, the group claimed missile and drone strikes on a Saudi military base and other targets, while Saudi authorities reported attacks affecting several cities.