Commentary & Analysis

On October 10, 2026, a Houthi missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi civil aviation authorities reported 13 dead and 309 wounded. Victims included Saudis, Bangladeshis, and nationals of the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt. Since then, the Kingdom has intercepted additional strikes on a near-daily basis.

The international response has been swift and unusually broad. UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” and reiterated that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure “must cease immediately,” while his envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, referred to the strikes as “a grave escalation.” In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the strikes “reprehensible attacks” that “demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life,” stating “We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people.” Meanwhile, when asked whether the United States would join Saudi retaliatory strikes on the Houthis, U.S. President Donald Trump replied, “We may. We’re going to look at it.” Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said “There can be no justification for attacks on civilian infrastructure.”

European reactions were equally firm. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said these “murderous attacks [on] civilians must stop at once,” while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the strike “an appalling act of terror.” France’s condemnation went further in substance, saying it “will continue to remain by [Saudi Arabia’s] side in its defence of its territory and its infrastructure.” That statement follows President Emmanuel Macron’s September 24 announcement that France would send troops, radar units, and defense systems to the Kingdom.

Beyond the West, the language has been just as clear. Turkiye’s foreign ministry condemned “in the strongest terms the Houthi targeting of King Khalid International Airport,” calling it “a clear violation of international law.” Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote that “Pakistan stands in unwavering solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its leadership and brotherly people. In accordance with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the enduring bonds of brotherhood between our two countries, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.” India’s foreign ministry called repeated attacks on civilians “completely unacceptable,” confirming its stance “in solidarity with the people and the government of the Kingdom.”

The Gulf reaction was the most pointed. Qatar called the attack “a grave violation of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and a direct threat to regional security, the safety of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and air navigation” and said the Kingdom’s security is integral to its own and to that of the Gulf Cooperation Council states. The UAE described it as a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.” Kuwait called it a “dangerous escalation” that requires “the accountability and prosecution of those responsible.” Bahrain went furthest, urging the UN Security Council and the International Civil Aviation Organization to take “firm, deterrent measures” and calling for full implementation of Resolutions 2216 and 2817. Oman, for its part, stressed restraint and diplomatic solutions.

It would thus be misleading to suggest that Saudi Arabia faces this threat alone. The breadth of the global response, spanning the United Nations, Washington, Brussels, European capitals, Asia, and the Arab world, reflects a shared recognition of the gravity of the situation. Institutionally, the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, signed on August 7, 2026, is a clear example of international support for the Kingdom. The central provision of the agreement is that an armed attack on any one of the three states will be regarded as an attack on all of them. It builds on the Saudi-Pakistani Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement of September 2025.

Since the signing of the Makkah Agreement, there have been several developments in cooperation between the three countries. First, on October 5, 2026, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye convened an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Makkah Alliance for Defense in Riyadh to address the security developments and threats facing the Kingdom. The meeting highlighted cooperation in decision-making, as the three states agreed to implement their “collective defense commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment...” Second, as part of the institutional development of the Makkah Alliance for Defense, the Committee appointed H.E. Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood (Ret.) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as the first Secretary-General for a three-year term. Finally, Turkiye sent the agreement to its parliament for ratification on October 20, 2026, and on October 23, 2026, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Pakistan had completed its ratification process. As these processes advance, the framework gains firmer footing and paves the way forward for collective commitments to translate into action.

Saudi Arabia continues to pair deterrence with diplomacy. On October 23, 2026, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, and Pakistan (R4), alongside the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, met in Istanbul to discuss the Houthi attacks on the Kingdom, the US-Israel-Iran conflict, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb. According to the joint statement, “they expressed their commitment to continue contributing toward diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond, and addressing the security, economic, and trade implications of these issues.”

Moreover, on October 26, 2026, H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense, led the Saudi delegation to meetings in Tehran between Makkah Joint Defense Agreement countries and Iranian officials. According to Ambassador Dr. Rayed Krimly, Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit “comes as part of the continued efforts by the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement countries for de-escalation between parties involved in the ongoing crisis, and promoting dialogue and diplomatic solutions... The visit underscores the pivotal role of Makkah Joint Defense Agreement countries in reinforcing regional security and stability, and working with all countries in the region to achieve that goal.” Taken together, Riyadh seems to be signaling that an attack on the Kingdom carries broader collective implications and, by maintaining an open communication channel with Tehran, it stands by its commitment to diplomacy.

It remains to be seen how this momentum will translate into protection: the completion of Türkiye’s ratification of the Makkah Agreement, the outcome of the Tehran talks and the Istanbul dialogue, and Washington’s position, given that President Trump has said the United States “may” join strikes, will all determine whether words turn into action. Each offers an opportunity to turn broad solidarity into steps that can be seen and measured. Condemnation is where responsibility begins, not where it ends, and the Makkah Agreement, together with the parallel diplomatic track, is where that responsibility has the chance to take institutional shape.

*Amnah Mosly is a Researcher at the Gulf Research Center (GRC)