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A Houthi tank moves during clashes with government forces on the Al-Qadha front in western Yemen on Sept. 16 local time. / AFP-Yonhap

Saudi Arabia has asked its allies for support as its stockpile of interceptor missiles runs low amid prolonged fighting with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the Associated Press reported on Sept. 16 local time, citing two sources.

Riyadh has recently asked France, the U.K., Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defense assets to help protect the kingdom from missiles and drones launched by the Houthis and other Iran-backed armed groups.

One source said the request came as the U.S., Saudi Arabia’s key ally and arms supplier, has also seen its interceptor missile stocks depleted by its war with Iran.

Saudi Arabia has been engaged in clashes with the Houthis amid the fallout from the U.S.-Iran war.

The Saudi military said on Sept. 16 that it had “intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched by the terrorist Houthi organization,” adding that the drone had entered restricted airspace over the holy city of Mecca.

The Houthis denied targeting Mecca, Islam’s holiest city in Saudi Arabia, and said their targets were oil facilities and military bases.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is under growing pressure to maintain secure routes for the movement of its resources while also protecting its territory, but has yet to find a clear solution.

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Saudi-backed Yemeni government fighters clash with Houthi rebels in Yemen’s Al Jawf province on Sept. 15 local time. / AFP-Yonhap

Saudi Arabia’s key allies have expressed diplomatic support but have yet to provide significant military assistance.

The U.S., Riyadh’s biggest ally, has sold Saudi Arabia billions of dollars worth of weapons and pledged other forms of support, but has said it does not intend to intervene in the current conflict.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Sept. 14 that “the administration remains in constant contact with Saudi Arabia” and added that the U.S. had also spoken directly with the Houthis.

The U.K. said through Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson Tom Wells on Sept. 15 that it maintains a “close defense partnership” with Saudi Arabia, but declined to say whether Riyadh had requested military assistance or whether British forces were currently stationed in the kingdom.

Türkiye and Pakistan, which have a “Mecca joint defense” pact with Saudi Arabia, are facing the first real test of the agreement during the current fighting.

Turkish and Pakistani officials told the AP that they had not received requests from Saudi Arabia for support in responding to Houthi attacks.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country would “stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia unwaveringly.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also expressed solidarity, saying that “no country can remain indifferent,” according to state-run Anadolu Agency.

                                                                                                             Kim Hyun-min