DOMINANT ANGLE
New Delhi is first and foremost deciphering the mutual defense pact between Islamabad and Riyadh: Pakistan promises to go "all the way" against the Houthis, while Washington is limiting itself to an intelligence offer.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News that Islamabad "will fulfill its duty" under the trilateral defense pact signed with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
- 02
According to three Iranian sources cited by Reuters, China privately asked Tehran to use its influence over the Houthis after a call for help from Riyadh.
- 03
The Houthis broadcast on the al-Masirah channel images purported to be of a Saudi F-15 fighter jet shot down over Marib, without official confirmation from Riyadh.
ANALYSIS
New Delhi, September 19, 2026. For the Indian press, the air alert in Riyadh is above all an extension of a diplomatic file closely monitored since Islamabad: the implementation of the mutual defense pact signed in September 2025 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. On Thursday, the spokesperson for the Pakistani army, General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, assured the daily Arab News that his country would go "all the way" to defend the kingdom, "diplomatically and physically". Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed this commitment after the interception of a Houthi drone near Mecca, stating to Geo News that Islamabad would "fulfill its duty" under the trilateral agreement. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sajjad Haider Khan, reiterated this commitment during a weekly press briefing, remaining discreet about the exact nature of a potential Pakistani military response.
Another thread being followed in New Delhi is Chinese diplomacy towards Iran. According to three Iranian sources cited by Reuters, Beijing has privately asked Tehran to use its influence over the Houthis after a call for help from Riyadh, which is concerned about its oil exports and maritime traffic security around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Tehran allegedly responded that regional stability depends on the end of the American-Israeli war against Iran. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has publicly limited itself to a call for restraint and dialogue, without mentioning economic pressure on Iran.
The Indian press is also relaying the Houthi military claims: the group claims to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib, broadcasting images of debris via the al-Masirah channel, without official confirmation from Riyadh. If the information is verified, it would be the first confirmed loss of a Saudi F-15 to Houthi air defenses. The role of Washington, which has remained in the background according to the relayed information, is of less interest in New Delhi than that of Islamabad, the historical strategic ally of the Saudi kingdom. None of the Indian articles consulted directly mention the air alerts triggered in Riyadh on Saturday, or the human toll reported in Taif, the focus remaining on regional diplomatic postures.
SOURCES (2)
- Times of IndiaMEDIUM
- SwarajyaMEDIUM
