Pakistan condemns Houthi threats and attacks affecting Saudi shipping in Red Sea

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea in a telephone conversation with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “Such actions are unacceptable, violate international law, threaten freedom of navigation and undermine regional peace and security,” PM Shehbaz said in a statement posted on X. Hostilities in the Middle East flared on Thursday as the Yemen’s Houthis said that they attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in a military operation, while the United States carried out strikes in Iran for a 12th consecutive night. A Saudi news agency confirmed one of the two vessels was ablaze after an assault while sailing in the Red Sea. In his post on X, PM Shehbaz said that he reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia during the call with the crown prince. He added that he conveyed that he, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and the nation “stand firmly and resolutely with the Saudi leadership and the brotherly people of the kingdom at this critical time”. PM Shehbaz said that the two agreed to “continue working very closely to maintain regional peace, security, stability, and the uninterrupted flow of lawful maritime commerce through the Red Sea as well as the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region”. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) described the conversation between the two as “most cordial”. It added that the Saudi crown prince appreciated “Pakistan’s steadfast support and the close fraternal ties between the two countries”. The conversation comes a day after Pakistan on condemned the continued threats issued by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, warning that it had the right to take all necessary measures in self-defence if its “maritime interests” were targeted in “any hostile act”. The warning had come after the Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints, in retaliation for what they described as the longstanding Saudi blockade of Yemen and a recent attack on Sanaa airport. The Bab al-Mandeb strait, connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is a critical artery for Pakistan’s trade and energy supplies. A significant share of the country’s oil imports transits the Red Sea route, although no Pakistani vessels have so far been reported stopped or targeted. Pakistan’s statement on Wednesday was by far the strongest issued by any non-Arab country on the Houthi threats. Unlike most countries, which have confined themselves to expressing concern over freedom of navigation, Islamabad explicitly warned that any hostile act against Pakistani vessels could invite a response in self-defence. The unusually forceful response also marks Pakistan’s strongest public warning to the Houthis since the group began attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea in late 2023. It also comes less than a year after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025, under which aggression against one country is regarded as aggression against the other.

Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the Houthis’ recent threats against Saudi Arabia and trade with the kingdom via the Red Sea, warning that it reserved the right to self-defence if its “maritime interests” were targeted in “any hostile act”. Islamabad’s statement comes after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. The naval blockade, if enforced, could cut off access to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. “Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Wednesday, denouncing the “continued threats” by Houthis. Islamabad said it was “particularly concerned by reports of threats directed against vessels engaged in lawful commercial trade” with Saudi Arabia. “Such actions threaten regional security, undermine freedom of navigation, challenge the rules-based maritime order and jeopardise uninterrupted flow of global commerce,” the FO highlighted. Furthermore, it declared that “any hostile act against Pakistani-flagged vessels or Pakistani maritime interests will be regarded as a grave threat to Pakistan’s national security and sovereign interests”. The FO warned that Pakistan reserved its right to “take all necessary measures, including lawful use of force, in the exercise of self-defence to protect its maritime assets and national interests”, consistent with the United Nations Charter and international law. Pakistan also said it was “deeply concerned over attempts to drag” Saudi Arabia into the Middle East conflict, as fighting continues between the United States and Iran, which in turn has targeted American military sites in some Gulf countries. Islamabad reiterated its “unwavering support for the security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. “While remaining steadfast in its commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and regional de-escalation, Pakistan calls upon all parties to respect international law and ensure the safety and security of international maritime shipping,” the FO statement affirmed. The FO also shared an Arabic version of the statement on its X account. Houthis’ Monday announcement came after the group and Saudi Arabia traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring. After Houthi fired missiles at Saudi Arabia on July 13, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the “blatant attacks” against the kingdom, without further specifying the attacks. Islamabad had also backed Riyadh at an emergency UN Security Council briefing on Yemen, calling for all parties concerned to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Under a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” signed between the two in September 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are to treat any attack on either nation as an act of aggression against both. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close defence and security ties for decades, and their cooperation has remained an important element of Islamabad’s regional diplomacy. Pakistan had invoked the defence pact through diplomatic intervention in early March to help deter heavier Iranian strikes against Saudi Arabia. The Bab al-Mandeb threat While it remains unclear how the Houthis would enforce such a blockade, their threats have raised concerns about maritime security and energy shipping in the Red Sea. On Tuesday, three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than ‌braving the Yemeni coast at the sea’s mouth, Reuters reported. The Houthis have previously tried to cut off shipping through the Red Sea, leveraging the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a chok­epoint at its southern tip which vessels must navigate when travelling to or from the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu has been crucial for exporting oil, bypassing Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during its war with the United States. Crude oil exports from Saudi Arabia fell for a third straight month in May to a record low, data ​from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI) showed on Tuesday, with the ‌US-Iran conflict disrupting shipments across the Gulf. Exports fell to about 3.434 million barrels per day in May, from 3.986m bpd in April. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his country would “take care of” the Houthis if they followed through on the threat to blockade Saudi Arabia’s ports.

Pakistan on Wednesday “unequivocally” condemned the recent threats issued by Houthis against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Foreign Office said. Islamabad’s statement comes after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. The naval blockade, if enforced, could cut off access to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. It remains unclear how the Houthis would enforce such a blockade. “Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” the FO said in a statement on Wednesday, noting the “continued threats” by Houthis. Islamabad said it was “particularly concerned by reports of threats directed against vessels engaged in lawful commercial trade” with Saudi Arabia. “Such actions threaten regional security, undermine freedom of navigation, challenge the rules-based maritime order and jeopardise uninterrupted flow of global commerce,” the FO highlighted. Furthermore, it declared that “any hostile act against Pakistani-flagged vessels or Pakistani maritime interests will be regarded as a grave threat to Pakistan’s national security and sovereign interests”. The FO warned that Pakistan reserved its right to “take all necessary measures, including lawful use of force, in the exercise of self-defence to protect its maritime assets and national interests”, consistent with the United Nations Charter and international law. Pakistan also said it was “deeply concerned over attempts to drag” Saudi Arabia into the Middle East conflict, as fighting continues between the United States and Iran, which in turn has targeted American military sites in some Gulf countries. Islamabad reiterated its “unwavering support for the security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. “While remaining steadfast in its commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and regional de-escalation, Pakistan calls upon all parties to respect international law and ensure the safety and security of international maritime shipping,” the FO statement affirmed. Houthis’ Monday announcement came after the group and Saudi Arabia traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring. After Houthi fired missiles at Saudi Arabia on July 13, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the “blatant attacks” against the kingdom, without further specifying the attacks. Islamabad had also backed Riyadh at an emergency UN Security Council briefing on Yemen, calling for all parties concerned to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Under a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” signed between the two in September 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are to treat any attack on either nation as an act of aggression against both. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close defence and security ties for decades, and their cooperation has remained an important element of Islamabad’s regional diplomacy. Pakistan had invoked the defence pact through diplomatic intervention in early March to help deter heavier Iranian strikes against Saudi Arabia. The Bab al-Mandeb threat While it remains unclear how the Houthis would enforce such a blockade, their threats have raised concerns about maritime security and energy shipping in the Red Sea. On Tuesday, three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than ‌braving the Yemeni coast at the sea’s mouth, Reuters reported. The Houthis have previously tried to cut off shipping through the Red Sea, leveraging the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a chok­epoint at its southern tip which vessels must navigate when travelling to or from the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. A map showing the location of Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal. — courtesy Al Jazeera Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu has been crucial for exporting oil, bypassing Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during its war with the United States. Crude oil exports from Saudi Arabia fell for a third straight month in May to a record low, data ​from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI) showed on Tuesday, with the ‌US-Iran conflict disrupting shipments across the Gulf. Exports fell to about 3.434 million barrels per day in May, from 3.986m bpd in April. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his country would “take care of” the Houthis if they followed through on the threat to blockade Saudi Arabia’s ports.