Dhaka, Sept. 30 -- Pakistan will deploy "whatever means are available" to defend Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said, signalling potential direct military involvement in the expanding West Asian crisis.

Asif made the comments on Tuesday during a visit to Rome while declining to say whether Pakistani forces had already taken part in airstrikes against Iranian operators in Yemen, Politico reports.

He said Pakistan's military capabilities would be available to Saudi Arabia under a new mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the American outlet said.

"I'm not going into detail, but obviously when I say that we are bound by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that me...