“Defending Mecca is going to create legitimacy domestically in their countries if they engage with the Saudis in a war against the Houthis,” says Al-Muslimi.
But Gerges suggests that support from Turkey and Pakistan would be largely ineffective, and therefore unlikely.
“The problem is how could Pakistan and Turkey really provide support since the armies are not integrated,” he says. “The key challenge facing Saudi Arabia is ground forces.”
Gerges notes that Riyadh’s aerial capabilities alone are not enough to inflict necessary damage on the Houthis.
Therefore, diplomacy could be the most viable option.
Gerges says that “the Houthis have proved to…
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