WITH confirmation that members of the Makkah Defence Alliance will be deploying their forces to Saudi Arabia, it appears that the kingdom is preparing for a full-scale war with the pro-Iran Houthi Ansarallah movement. Senior civil and military leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye met in Riyadh on Monday to chart a course forward. Though details are sparse, the three defence allies agreed to ensure “rapid deployment in the Kingdom, in accordance with … the national legislation of the parties.” As collective defence is a central pillar of the trilateral alliance, such developments were expected. Members of the MDA also condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly alleged attempts to target the........

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