Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday strongly condemned recent Houthi missile and drone strikes against Saudi crude oil tankers in the Red Sea, explicitly reaffirming Pakistan's complete solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During a high-level telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the Pakistani leader denounced the maritime attacks in the strongest possible terms, describing the hostile actions as completely unacceptable and a severe breach of international law. Prime Minister Sharif underscored that such military operations directly jeopardize global freedom of navigation, threaten critical international energy supply lines, and undermine overall regional stability and security across strategic maritime waterways.
The diplomatic engagement followed an official statement issued by Yemen's Houthi group early Thursday, claiming responsibility for a joint military operation targeting two Saudi-flagged oil tankers operating in the southern Red Sea. The group stated that the assault utilized a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The escalating maritime campaign comes shortly after Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree publicly declared a total naval blockade and navigation ban on vessels heading toward Saudi commercial ports, alleging that the action was taken in direct retaliation for what the group characterized as an ongoing economic blockade enforced by Saudi-led coalition forces.
In a public statement released on social media platform X following his discussion with the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed that the government and people of Pakistan stand firmly and resolutely alongside Saudi Arabia during this critical security challenge. Both leaders agreed to maintain continuous coordination and work closely together to preserve regional peace, restore security, and safeguard the uninterrupted flow of lawful commercial shipping through vital global maritime choke points, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Strait of Hormuz.
The Prime Minister's firm stance aligns with a stern warning issued by the Pakistani government on Wednesday, in which Islamabad declared that it reserves the right to employ all necessary measures, including the defensive use of force, to protect its national maritime assets and commercial interests operating in the Red Sea corridor. As global concern mounts over renewed disruptions to international shipping and energy markets, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reiterated their commitment to diplomatic and security collaboration to mitigate maritime threats and maintain territorial integrity across the region.
