PM condemns Houthi missile attacks, reaffirms Pakistan's unwavering support for Saudi Arabia

• Premier Shehbaz says attacks violate Saudi sovereignty and threaten regional peace and stability

• Pledges complete solidarity with Riyadh, backs all efforts for peace and de-escalation

• Islamabad reinforces support a day after backing the kingdom at emergency UNSC session on Yemen

• Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement underscores decades-long Pakistan-Saudi security partnership

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday strongly condemned the ballistic missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, describing them as a blatant violation of the kingdom's sovereignty and territorial integrity, reaffirming Pakistan's unwavering solidarity with Riyadh and backing renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent a further escalation of the conflict in Yemen.

In a post on his X account, the prime minister said Pakistan "strongly condemns the blatant attacks" launched against Saudi Arabia the previous night and reiterated Islamabad's steadfast support for the kingdom's security.

باكستان تدين بشدة الهجمات السافرة التي شنت على المملكة العربية السعودية الشقيقة الليلة الماضية.

إن هذه الأعمال المشينة تشكل انتهاكا لسيادة المملكة العربية السعودية ووحدة أراضيها، ومن شأنها أن تزيد من تقويض السلام والاستقرار في المنطقة.

وتجدد باكستان تأكيد دعمها الثابت لأمن… https://t.co/uM8PpeuRiv

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 14, 2026

"Such reprehensible actions constitute a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and have the potential to further undermine regional peace and stability," PM Shehbaz said.

The prime minister's statement came after Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that it had intercepted ballistic missiles fired towards the country's southern region by the Houthis.

He said Pakistan "reaffirms its unwavering support for the kingdom's security and stands in complete solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at this critical time."

"On its part, Pakistan will continue to support all sincere efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability, security and mutual understanding across the region," he added.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close defence and security ties for decades, with bilateral cooperation remaining a key pillar of Islamabad's regional diplomacy.

In September 2025, the two countries signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in Riyadh, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.

The prime minister's remarks came a day after Pakistan also backed Saudi Arabia during an emergency United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Yemen, urging all parties concerned to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy.

Addressing the Security Council, Pakistan's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, strongly condemned the ballistic missile attacks against Saudi Arabia and reiterated Islamabad's unwavering solidarity with the kingdom.

Statement by Ambassador Usman Jadoon,
Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN,
At the UN Security Council Emergency Briefing on the Situation in Middle East (Yemen)
(13 July 2026)
****

We thank ASG Khaled Khiari and acting ASG Indrika Ratwatte for their… pic.twitter.com/AzYbr4Vr01

— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) July 14, 2026

"We express our full solidarity with the brotherly kingdom and reaffirm our steadfast support for its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," Ambassador Jadoon said.

Pakistan also urged all parties to exercise restraint and pursue diplomatic solutions to prevent further escalation in the conflict.

 Latest flare-up in Yemen

Yemen has remained engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the internationally recognised government the following year.

In the latest escalation, the Yemeni government on Monday targeted the international airport in Sanaa.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government said it sought to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing in Sanaa after a Houthi delegation, which had travelled to Tehran to attend the funeral of assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declined to return aboard Yemen's national carrier despite government efforts.

Hours after the airport attack, Saudi Arabia announced that it had intercepted ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards the kingdom's southern region.

The latest confrontation marked the biggest escalation between the Yemeni government and the Houthis in years, with the rebel group accusing Saudi Arabia of jeopardising the UN-mediated truce that has largely held since 2022.