Saturday, Sep 19, 2026
1 Saudi Arabia Taps 4 Allies for Air Defense After US Stocks Dwindle↩︎ ⚔️ War Sep 19, 2:13 PM EDT 21/11
Saudi Arabia requests air-defense support from France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt after missile interceptor stocks from the United States dwindle. Riyadh struggles to protect oil facilities and government sites spread across a country the size of Western Europe against sustained Houthi attacks from Yemen. Pakistan military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry pledged "unconditional" commitment to Saudi security, though Pakistan and Turkey told the Associated Press they received no formal request under a joint defense pact signed last month.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visits Iran on Sunday for talks on bilateral relations and agreements reached at the presidential level. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state TV that Tehran is unaware of any specific US proposal for the trip, though Pakistan continues to mediate between Washington and Tehran. Regional officials note that European missile stocks are critical and Ukraine competes for the same interceptors, while Pakistan's army chief has urged Iran to halt Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.