Red Sea: PM Shehbaz Condemns Houthi Attacks on Saudi Oil Tankers, Reaffirms Support to Kingdom
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tells Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Pakistan stands firmly with Saudi Arabia and supports secure maritime trade routes in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid Red Sea tensions.
ISLAMABAD, July 23: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers during a telephone call with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kingdom amid rising regional tensions.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz said the attacks violated international law, threatened freedom of navigation and endangered regional peace and security. He called the assaults unacceptable and urged collective efforts to protect maritime stability.
The phone call followed a sharp escalation in the Middle East after Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. Saudi authorities confirmed that one tanker caught fire during the assault.
Prime Minister Shehbaz told the Saudi crown prince that Pakistan stood firmly with Saudi Arabia during the crisis. He said Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Pakistani government and the nation fully supported the Saudi leadership and its people.
The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation to preserve regional peace, enhance security and ensure uninterrupted maritime trade through the Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the conversation took place in a cordial atmosphere. It added that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman thanked Pakistan for its steadfast support and praised the longstanding brotherly ties between the two countries.
The conversation came one day after Pakistan strongly condemned Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Islamabad warned that it would take all necessary measures to defend its maritime interests if any hostile group targeted Pakistani vessels.
The Houthis recently announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and threatened to block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. The group said it took the step in response to what it described as Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen and a recent attack on Sanaa airport.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait plays a vital role in Pakistan’s trade and energy security because a significant share of the country’s oil imports passes through the Red Sea. However, no reports have indicated that attackers targeted or stopped Pakistani vessels.
Pakistan issued one of the strongest responses among non-Arab countries. While many governments expressed concern over freedom of navigation, Islamabad clearly warned that it would exercise its right to self-defence if hostile forces attacked Pakistani ships.
The statement also marked Pakistan’s strongest public warning to the Houthis since the group began targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea in late 2023. The warning followed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in September 2025, under which both countries treat aggression against one as aggression against the other.
