Pakistan passes Saudi warning to Iran over Houthi attacks

Pakistan passed Saudi Arabia's warning to Iran demanding it use its influence on Yemen's Houthis to stop their attacks on the kingdom's territory.

The message was conveyed to Tehran, Reuters reported citing Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian officials and diplomats.

Islamabad's diplomatic intervention followed a sharp escalation on the Saudi-Yemen front. Houthis launched a series of missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia, including civilian and energy infrastructure. According to the Saudi side, at least 73 people were injured.

Amid the escalation, Pakistan publicly sided with Riyadh. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif declared "unwavering solidarity" with Saudi Arabia and supported the kingdom's right to defend its territory, population and strategic infrastructure.

An even tougher stance was voiced by Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. He warned the Houthis that they should not use the broader US-Iran confrontation to drag Saudi Arabia into a war, as such actions could have serious consequences for the group.

Asif also said that further aggression against Saudi Arabia could trigger the Makkah Agreement on joint defense, which Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey concluded last month.

The agreement stipulates the principle of collective defense: an attack on one participant is considered an attack on all. However, specific mechanisms of a military response under the agreement have not been publicly detailed.

"If there is unprovoked aggression or what is happening in Yemen spills over to Saudi Arabia, this agreement will definitely come into force", Asif said.

According to him, Pakistan is obliged to implement the pact's provisions if such a need arises.

Thus Islamabad is simultaneously trying to use diplomatic channels with Tehran to restrain the Houthis and demonstrates readiness to fulfill defense obligations to Saudi Arabia in case of further escalation.

The current fighting in Yemen became the sharpest escalation after the UN-brokered truce in 2022, which effectively halted large-scale combat operations for several years. The Houthis have recently also intensified their offensive in the west toward the Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Based on: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Arab News