Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif held a conversation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Thursday to condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea.
“Such actions are unacceptable, violate international law, threaten freedom of navigation and undermine regional peace and security,” PM Shehbaz stated in a post on X.
Hostilities in the region flared up on Thursday as the Houthis of Yemen stated that the group targeted two Saudi Arabian oil tankers during a military operation. A Saudi news agency confirmed that one vessel caught fire following an assault while sailing in the Red Sea.
During the call, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia. The premier stated that he, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) 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.”
The two leaders 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.”
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) described the interaction as “most cordial”. The office added that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia appreciated “Pakistan’s steadfast support and the close fraternal ties between the two countries.”
The call occurred a day after Pakistan condemned threats by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia and shipping in the Red Sea. Pakistan warned that the nation held the right to take measures in self-defence if “maritime interests” faced targeting in “any hostile act”.
The warning followed an announcement by the Houthis declaring an embargo against Saudi Arabia. The group threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait in retaliation for an attack on Sanaa airport.
The Bab al-Mandeb strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as an artery for Pakistan’s trade and energy supplies. A share of Pakistan’s oil imports transits the Red Sea route, though Houthi forces have not stopped or targeted any Pakistani vessels.
Pakistan’s statement on Wednesday was by far the strongest statement from any non-Arab country regarding Houthi threats.
Unlike most countries, which 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 statement comes less than a year after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) in September 2025, under which aggression against one country constitutes aggression against the other.
