Pakistan denounces Houthi threats to Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday condemned recent threats by Yemen’s Houthi movement against Saudi Arabia and commercial vessels operating in the Red Sea, with the Foreign Office calling the warnings a breach of international law and a risk to regional stability.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said Islamabad had unequivocally rejected the continued threats, including reported warnings aimed at ships involved in lawful trade with the kingdom. Such actions were unacceptable and ran counter to established legal principles governing international navigation and commerce.

The ministry said Pakistan was particularly concerned by reports of threats targeting vessels engaged in legitimate commercial activity with Saudi Arabia. Any move endangering maritime trade in the Red Sea would undermine freedom of navigation and raise broader security concerns in the region.

The statement came after the Houthis announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening another pressure point in the wider Middle East conflict. Any enforcement of the blockade could affect access to Saudi Red Sea ports, which have become important for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting constrains movement through the Strait of Hormuz.