Categories
Middle East: Houthi attack wounds 11 in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan sign defense deal
Jon Shelton | Emmy Sasipornkarn with Reuters, AFP, APPublished 08/07/2026Published August 7, 2026last updated 08/08/2026last updated August 8, 2026Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defense deal. According to the agreement, an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all of them. Follow DW for the latest.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IQM3What you need to know
These updates have been closed. Below is a roundup of top stories from and about the Middle East on Friday, August 7.
For the latest on Saturday, August 8, head over to our blog.
- Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defense pact
- Dozens of Yemeni troops killed in ongoing missile and drone attacks by Houthis
- Riyadh reports 11 civilians injured after 'indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects'
Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google.
Skip next section Thank you for reading08/08/2026August 8, 2026Thank you for reading
The biggest development this evening had to do with the mutual defense agreement signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan at a time when the war in Iran has created new instability in the region.
The deal also comes as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels step up attacks on Saudi-linked targets. Our full coverage is below.
Will Iran get nuclear?
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5ITwfSkip next section Houthi attacks pro-government forces in Marib08/07/2026August 7, 2026Houthi attacks pro-government forces in Marib
Yemen's Houthis said they had attacked pro-government forces in the eastern province of Marib. The attack reportedly involved a large number of missiles and drones.
Marib is considered one of the main strongholds of the country's internationally recognized government.
"The Saudi enemy continued to mobilise and incite its forces... these forces were attacked along with their arsenals, vehicles and military equipment in the Sahn al-Jinn camp with a large number of missiles and drones," Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement.
A Yemeni military source told AFP news agency the attacks in Marib province killed eight members of government forces and wounded 12 others.
Health minister Qasim Buhaibeh said in a post on X that "shelling by the terrorist Houthi militia today, Friday, targeting residential neighborhoods and displacement camps in the city of Marib.
Witnesses also told dpa news agency that some 10 displaced people were injured in Houthi shelling in Marib.
Iran war: Analyzing the Houthi blockade against Saudi Arabia
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5ITmYSkip next section Abu Dhabi says unprovoked attacks significantly impacting shipping operations 08/07/2026August 7, 2026Abu Dhabi says unprovoked attacks significantly impacting shipping operations
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Friday that the war in Iran is significantly impacting its operations.
ADNOC said it was taking steps to protect employees, assets and operations amid unprovoked attacks and that 15 of its vessels had been targeted by missiles and drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict.
In a press release, ADNOC said three of its ships had been attacked this week alone, reporting one employee killed and 20 injured.
ADNOC's Friday statement said, "Freedom of navigation and the safe, uninterrupted passage of commercial shipping through international waterways must be respected and protected without threat, harassment or attack."
https://p.dw.com/p/5ITKUSkip next section Rheinmetall says it will take years to replenish US ATACMS stockpiles08/07/2026August 7, 2026Rheinmetall says it will take years to replenish US ATACMS stockpiles
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger on Friday said it would take time to ramp up planned ATACMS missile production with US partner Lockheed Martin, highlighting the difficulty of replenishing weapons stockpiles depleted by President Donald Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran.
The US has reportedly burnt through much of its stockpile of long-range precision missiles during the five-month conflict with Iran, further raising concerns about its military readiness for future crises.
Trump on Thursday played down a Reuters report this week on US weapons shortages, claiming Washington has an "almost unlimited" supply of some munitions while acknowledging stocks of others were lower.
Last month, Rheinmetall — Europe's largest ammunition maker — signed a memorandum of understanding with US arms maker Lockheed Martin — the world's largest defense contractor— to jointly produce Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) at Rheinmetall's Unterluess plant in northern Germany, where production facilities are scheduled to be set up next year.
"Naturally, there will also be sufficient capacity to replenish the US military arsenals depleted by the conflict involving Iran," CEO Armin Papperger told Reuters, adding the caveat: "That won't happen in two years. It will take much longer."
Papperger said the ATACMS joint venture still requires approval, but noted the process was well advanced and had the backing of the US government.
Rheinmetall and Lockheed intend to target the global ATACMS market, with Papperger saying, "There will be a market for missiles for the next 15 years."
Trump's pressure over defense spending 'not bad for Europe'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5ITFVSkip next section Federation of German Industries says Iran war weighing heavy on global economy08/07/2026August 7, 2026Federation of German Industries says Iran war weighing heavy on global economy
The Federation of German Industries (BDI), published its latest data on global economic performance on Friday, illustrating how the war in Iran is harming outlooks.
The conflict the US and Israel started on February 28 will ultimately slow global business to 3% in 2026, the BDI said in its annual economic forecast.
BDI analysts said that the war, global growth would have been between 3.3% and 3.4%, but warn that outlooks could grow considerably more grim should the US and Iran fail to resolve the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
The BDI's number charted different regions experiencing varying degrees of impact, with the US economy — buoyed slightly by heavy investment in AI — expected to grow by 2%, Europe by 0.8%, and China by 4.6%.
Additionally, the BDI warned of a "stagflation shock,' saying the six-month war will not only drag down growth by half a percentage point, but also drive up global inflation by a full percentage point to 4.5%.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ISznSkip next section Iranian lawmaker warns Saudis that new pact cannot protect kingdom08/07/2026August 7, 2026Iranian lawmaker warns Saudis that new pact cannot protect kingdom
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei on Friday warned Saudi Arabia that its new security pact would be of little help.
"Saudis must know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided nursing to the Americans did not bring them security," wrote Rezaei, who is also a member of Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, adding, "Reform your policies so that you do not need to beg for security from others."
https://p.dw.com/p/5ISkASkip next section Oil prices, stock markets on roller-coaster after apparent collapse of Hormuz negotiations08/07/2026August 7, 2026Oil prices, stock markets on roller-coaster after apparent collapse of Hormuz negotiations
Oil and stocks had another roller-coaster day on Friday with markets steady and oil slightly lower in Europe, and stocks retreating as oil prices rose in the US.
Stock and oil markets had been buoyed slightly this week by hopes that a promised US-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would become reality and increase the flow of fuel and goods through the waterway.
Mirroring the hope and disappointment surrounding the strait conflict, the price for benchmark Brent crude rose almost 4% on Thursday before dropping 0.3% to $83.26 on Friday morning — down from $113 earlier in the war and significantly higher than $72 a barrel prior to it.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ISdwSkip next section Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia sign defense pact in Mecca08/07/2026August 7, 2026Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia sign defense pact in Mecca
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia sealed a historic defense pact on Friday, signing an agreement "intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression."
"The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement," read a joint statement, reflects "a shared commitment to further strengthening collective security."
A Turkish official cited by Reuters said the agreement was purely defensive in nature and open to any regional neighbors who might want to sign on.
The official said the pact does not replace or negate previous bilateral or multilateral agreements between signatories, nor is it directed at any one actor or threat.
The agreement was signed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
All three parties to the deal are Sunni-majority Muslim countries, and Pakistan is a nuclear power.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IS3kSkip next section Ships passing through Hormuz down to eight on Thursday 08/07/2026August 7, 2026Ships passing through Hormuz down to eight on Thursday
Maritime intelligence provider Kpler said that only eight ships passed through the contested Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
That number is down from a daily average of 13 last week, and down from more than 100 a day prior to US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
Last week's better numbers relied on a framework agreement between the US and Iran that saw a slight respite from hostilities.
But the collapse of the agreement, as well as renewed blockades, have again brought global shipping to a standstill.
"Dry bulk traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been cut roughly in half following the renewed blockade," wrote shipping services provider AXSMarine on X.
Though Iran wields leverage over the strait, satellite images show the US blockade of Iranian ports is also having an impact.
According to shipping data provider Windward, it has been weeks since any ships have docked at Tehran's key oil export hub Kharg Island.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IRpBSkip next section Iran-backed Houthis kill dozens of Yemeni troops in ongoing attacks — reports08/07/2026August 7, 2026Iran-backed Houthis kill dozens of Yemeni troops in ongoing attacks — reports
Dmytro Hubenko EditorIran-backed Houthi rebels killed scores of Yemeni government troops in missile and drone attacks on Thursday and Friday, with France's AFP reporting 61 soldiers dead in multiple attacks.
A rebel spokesman said the attacks were in response to increased Saudi Arabian military support for Yemen's internationally recognized government and its forces.
Saudi Arabia's military backing of the Yemenis since 2015 and alliance with the US have marked it for attack by both the Houthis and Iran.
Thursday's ballistic missile and drone attacks injured dozens of troops beyond the 58 reported dead, in what Yemeni military sources called the worst attack on troops since 2022.
The Yemeni Ministry of Defense said in a statement that a military response would come, "at the appropriate place and time."
Thursday's attack occurred amid a series of air assaults, including one that wounded 11 civilians in the Najran region.
On Friday, three more troops were killed and four more injured when Houthis targeted Yemeni soldiers in Marib province.
The Red Sea and Yemen have become more hotly contested than ever since the Houthis leaned into the US-Iran war, helping Tehran leverage the situation in the Strait of Hormuz — and its impact on the global economy.
The expected joint defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan is a direct response to the changing security situation in the broader Middle East.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IRYSSkip next section Houthi militia attack wounds 11 in Saudi Arabia08/07/2026August 7, 2026Houthi militia attack wounds 11 in Saudi Arabia
An attack by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis late on Thursday wounded 11 civilians in southern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border, a military official said.
The attack injured seven Saudis, two Egyptians, a Yemeni and a Pakistani, according to General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen's government against the Shiite Houthi rebels.
He accused the rebels of "using indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects."
Neither the militia or Iran immediately responded to the coalition's statement.
Tehran has targeted Saudi Arabia since the US-Iran war started this February, as its regional archrival hosts US military facilities. Less then three weeks ago, the Houthi militants in Yemen declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, signaling that Riyadh's long-running conflict with the Houthis in Yemen is becoming increasingly intertwined with the wider Middle East war.
How the Iran war has ruined Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5IQM7Skip next section Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan to sign defense deal, sources say08/07/2026August 7, 2026Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan to sign defense deal, sources say
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan were expected to sign a defense agreement in Jeddah on Friday amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Reuters and AFP reported, citing unnamed sources.
The pact was "under discussion for a long time," but recent developments in the region accelerated efforts to finalize it, a source close to the Saudi military told AFP.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was due to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Saudi Arabian city.
Erdogan was set to arrive on Friday, while Sharif and Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir had already arrived in the kingdom on Thursday.
In 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan — the only Muslim-majority country armed with nuclear weapons — announced a joint defense deal.
What's behind Pakistan's deepening ties with Saudi Arabia
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5IQRuSkip next section Welcome to our coverage08/07/2026August 7, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Emmy Sasipornkarn | Darko Janjevic EditorAn attack by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militants wounded 11 people in southern Saudi Arabia.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were expected to sign a defense agreement in Jeddah according to sources cited by Reuters and AFP news agencies.
Stay tuned as we bring you more on these stories and other major developments from the Middle East.
For our coverage of the conflict on August 6, 2026, you can catch our blog here.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IQM5Show more posts