Islamabad condemns Houthis' threats to Riyadh, warns against targeting Pakistani maritime interests

Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned recent Houthi threats targeting Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping linked to the kingdom through the Red Sea, saying any attack on Pakistani-flagged vessels or other Pakistani maritime interests would be treated as a serious threat to national security.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said threats against commercial shipping and trade with Saudi Arabia were unacceptable and contrary to international law. It said it was especially concerned by reports of threats against vessels engaged in lawful trade with the kingdom, warning that such moves could endanger regional security, weaken freedom of navigation and disrupt the flow of global commerce.

The statement came after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are aligned with Iran, announced what they described as an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia. The announcement has raised alarm over shipping routes in the Red Sea, including access to Saudi Arabia’s ports on the western coast.

Pakistan said it opposed attempts to draw Saudi Arabia deeper into the wider Middle East conflict. It reaffirmed support for the kingdom’s security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity, while also urging all sides to respect international law and safeguard international maritime shipping.

The Foreign Office added that Pakistan reserved the right to take “all necessary measures,” including the lawful use of force in self-defence, to protect its maritime assets and national interests if they came under hostile action. It said this position was consistent with the United Nations Charter and international law.

The warning comes amid heightened tensions in the region, where fighting between the United States and Iran has already affected maritime traffic and energy shipments. The Houthis’ announcement followed recent exchanges of fire with Saudi Arabia and has revived concerns over the vulnerability of the Red Sea corridor and the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint at its southern end.

Reuters, cited in the feed summary, reported that three oil tankers carrying Saudi crude for China and India turned back in the Red Sea on Tuesday, choosing a route toward the Suez Canal rather than continuing near the Yemeni coast. The disruption has also coincided with declining Saudi crude exports, according to data from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long maintained close defence and security ties. The two countries signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025 under which an attack on either country is treated as an act of aggression against both. The feed also noted that Pakistan had previously supported Riyadh at an emergency UN Security Council briefing on Yemen and had backed the kingdom after earlier Houthi missile fire.

The report is based on a monitored public feed and reflects the Foreign Office statement released on Wednesday.

Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017517/islamabad-condemns-houthis-threats-to-riyadh-warns-against-targeting-pakistani-maritime-interests