PAKISTAN’S principled stance on Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is grounded in steadfast solidarity with Riyadh, adherence to international law, and a preference for regional deterrence and diplomacy over direct military intervention. Stability of Middle East is severely threatened as non-state actors like the Houthis project military power globally, turning a local Yemeni conflict into a challenge against state sovereignty and freedom of navigation. By using drones and missiles to target commercial shipping in vital arteries like the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb, they exploit strategic geography for coercion.
Furthermore, attacks on Saudi Arabian territory directly jeopardize the Haramain Sharifain, crossing an absolute red line. This threat to Saudi security immediately triggers Pakistan’s strategic calculus, uniting critical security, economic, and religious imperatives into a unified, principled stance for collective regional defense. Pakistan’s position on Houthi threat is clear and unequivocal.
Pakistan condemns Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, threats to the Holy Sites and attacks on commercial shipping. Such actions violate sovereignty, international law and freedom of navigation. Pakistan stands firmly in safeguarding its territory, security and sanctity of Haramain Sharifain. Houthi movement, which emerged as a Zaydi revivalist movement, transformed into a heavily armed non-state actor and seized Sana’a in 2014, subsequently developing significant missile and drone capabilities. UN Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015) demanded that Houthis end violence, withdraw from areas they had seized and relinquish seized arms. The Council subsequently brought Houthis under its targeted arms-embargo regime through Resolution 2624 (2022).
Houthi attacks subsequently expanded to Saudi territory, civilian infrastructure and vital economic assets. The 2019 strikes on Abqaiq and Khurais demonstrated ability of non-state actor to threaten critical energy infrastructure with consequences far beyond battlefield. Recent attacks on Abha, Jizan, Aramco facilities in Yanbu and sensitive sites in Riyadh further demonstrate Houthis’ reach. Security of Saudi Arabia carries deeper significance where Holy Sites are concerned. Pakistan has made clear that any threat to Haramain Sharifain is unacceptable red line. Pakistan’s leadership has consistently expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, reiterating that any attack on Holy Sites would transcend conventional geopolitical calculations and strike at spiritual heart of the Muslim Ummah. Security commitment to Saudi Arabia is further reinforced by Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, strengthening existing strategic and defence partnership between two countries. Agreements provide additional framework for deterrence and collective security, while Pakistan retains operational flexibility regarding nature, timing and scale of any response. Since late 2023, Houthi maritime attacks in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb have threatened global commerce, violating UNSC Resolution 2722 and UNCLOS.
Pakistan unequivocally condemns these strikes, firmly supporting freedom of navigation and Saudi Arabia’s inherent right to self-defence against external aggression. While Islamabad prioritizes dialogue and a Yemeni-led political settlement, it remains ready to protect its own national maritime interests if threatened. Pakistan’s stance is unambiguous: regional peace cannot coexist with non-state aggression. Houthi attacks must cease, Saudi sovereignty must be respected and the sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain remains an absolute, non-negotiable line.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
