Pakistan has called on Yemen’s Houthi movement to immediately stop what it described as provocative attacks in and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, warning that continued assaults on commercial shipping threaten regional stability and global maritime security.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting on the security situation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, urged the Iran-aligned Houthis to cease attacks on merchant vessels and seafarers navigating one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints.
The Pakistani envoy said attacks on commercial shipping and disruptions to navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait could have far-reaching consequences for international trade, energy supplies and food security. He called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and the restoration of safe passage for civilian vessels.
Ahmad also reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering support” for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity of Saudi Arabia, saying Islamabad fully supports the kingdom’s right under international law to defend its territory, citizens and critical infrastructure from attacks.
His remarks came as the conflict in Yemen has intensified following renewed Houthi military operations along the Red Sea coast and attacks targeting Saudi territory and commercial shipping. UN officials have warned that escalating violence around the Bab al-Mandab Strait risks destabilizing a vital international shipping route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The United Nations has also warned that the renewed fighting has worsened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 112,000 people in recent weeks and forcing thousands to flee by sea to neighboring Djibouti.
Pakistan called for a return to a UN-led, Yemeni-owned political process, saying diplomacy remains the only viable path toward lasting peace in Yemen and broader regional stability. Ahmad said Islamabad would continue efforts at the highest diplomatic levels to help reduce tensions and support dialogue among the parties.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors, carrying a significant share of global trade and energy shipments between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The recent escalation has prompted renewed international concern over freedom of navigation and the security of commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
