Saudi Arabia activated the Makkah Alliance on October 5, deploying Pakistani and Turkish forces — hours after Rubio reaffirmed the US defence commitment. October 6, 2026 Correction, October 12, 2026: An earlier version of this article said King Salman condemned the targeting of Mecca in a UN General Assembly speech; he did so while chairing the Saudi cabinet on September 22. It said Riyadh had launched a 100,000-troop ground offensive into Yemen; the October 4 offensive was launched by Yemen’s government forces with Saudi air support, and no troop figure was reported. It cited a 29-day war timeline and a … Continue reading Rubio Reaffirmed the Shield — Riyadh Activated Another