Overview
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone call Thursday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers and to express Pakistan’s complete solidarity with the Kingdom.
- Shehbaz said the attacks were unacceptable, violated international law, threatened freedom of navigation and commercial shipping, and undermined regional peace and stability.
- Pakistan vowed to work closely with Saudi Arabia and the international community to keep commerce flowing through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz while both civilian and military leadership publicly backed the pledge.
- The United States publicly warned Tehran it would be held accountable if the Houthis targeted commercial vessels, and U.S. officials are reportedly weighing further military options though no new large-scale operation has been authorized.
- Iran’s president separately praised Pakistan’s regional role and sought deeper Iran–Pakistan cooperation, underscoring Islamabad’s diplomatic balancing act between Riyadh, Tehran and Washington as commercial and security concerns grow.