Pakistan and Saudi Arabia pledge close coordination after Red Sea tanker attacks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to stay in close contact on regional security and maritime stability after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea heightened tensions in an already volatile region.

The understanding was reached during a telephone conversation on Thursday between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. During the call, the prime minister denounced the attacks in the strongest terms and said the strikes were unacceptable because they breached international law, endangered freedom of navigation and damaged regional peace and security.

Shehbaz also conveyed Pakistan's full backing for the kingdom, saying he, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and the Pakistani nation stood firmly with the Saudi leadership and people at what he described as a critical moment. The two leaders agreed to keep working very closely for peace, security and stability in the region and for the uninterrupted movement of lawful maritime trade through the Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz and the wider area.

Attacks claimed by Houthis

The phone call followed Houthi claims that the group had used missiles and drones to strike two Saudi tankers, identified as the Encelia and the Layla, in the Red Sea. The Houthis also threatened to impose a blockade on Saudi ports along the waterway, an important route for oil shipments.

Saudi Arabia confirmed that the Encelia had been hit, but did not comment on the reported attack on the second tanker. British maritime security monitor UKMTO said the master of a tanker had reported being struck by an unidentified projectile around 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, sparking a fire that the crew was attempting to control.

The reported Houthi threat to shut Saudi ports in the Red Sea has added to concerns over a possible expansion of the wider US-Iran confrontation. The development came on top of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz over the past five months, raising questions about Saudi Arabia's ability to use Red Sea routes for some of its oil exports. It also remained unclear how effectively the Houthis could enforce such a blockade.

Pakistan's earlier condemnation

A day before the call between Shehbaz and the Saudi crown prince, Pakistan's Foreign Office had already issued a strong condemnation of continued Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The Foreign Office said those threats weakened freedom of navigation, challenged the rules-based maritime order and put the uninterrupted flow of global trade at risk. Threats directed at commercial shipping and trade linked to Saudi Arabia were unacceptable and ran contrary to established principles of international law.

The statement also expressed concern over reports of threats targeting vessels involved in lawful commercial trade with the kingdom. It was issued as tensions escalated after the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.

Last week, Saudi Arabia intercepted ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis from Yemen toward the kingdom's southern region. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition said the missiles had been fired by the terrorist Houthi militia and were intercepted before reaching their target.