The chiefs met in Riyadh on Sept. 25 and pledged commitment to collective defense, discussing expanded intelligence sharing, military coordination and integration of capabilities. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement treats an attack on one member as an attack on all three.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Taif and Yanbu on Sept. 24. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarie separately claimed missile and drone attacks on a “sensitive target” in Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu. France will send soldiers, radars and air defense systems to protect Yanbu’s oil facilities, President Emmanuel Macron announced, describing the mission as protection rather than involvement in the conflict.