PM Shehbaz condemns Houthi attacks, vows efforts to defuse regional tensions in call with MBS

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian and economic infrastructure and vowed to continue efforts to defuse regional tensions and promote peace during a telephone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS).

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Shehbaz and Saudi Crown Prince MBS held a telephonic conversation this afternoon.

“During their warm and most cordial conversation, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the recent attacks by Houthis on Saudi Arabia’s civilian and economic infrastructure,” it said.

The telephone conversation came amid rising tensions in the Middle East, as a day earlier Saudi Arabia had shut down its East-West Pipeline after the vital oil conduit came under aerial attack amid the widening regional conflict.

The recent waves of escalation started after Houthis attacked the southern Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, injuring 73 people. In response, Saudi-led coalition aircraft carried out several airstrikes on Yemen’s western Al-Hudaydah province.

The statement by the PMO said that PM Shehbaz expressed “complete solidarity” with the Saudi leadership as well as the “brotherly people of Saudi Arabia” and stated that the recent Houthi actions threatened regional peace and security and could further disrupt the global economy and energy supplies.

“The prime minister added that he, along with Field Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, will continue their efforts for defusing tensions and bringing peace to the region,” it added.

PMO further said that the premier lauded the Saudi crown prince for his “wise and sagacious leadership” throughout the crisis.

The statement said that the prime minister also “availed himself of this occasion to convey his warm wishes and respectful regards for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud”.

According to the PMO, MBS appreciated Pakistan for its steadfast support to Saudi Arabia as well as its efforts for peace and stability in the region.

It added that the two leaders agreed to continue to remain in close contact and looked forward to meeting each other at an early date.

The latest attacks were not the first time the Houthis had targeted Saudi Arabia’s energy interests. On 23 July, the group said it had struck two Saudi oil tankers in what it described as part of a naval blockade against the kingdom.

The Houthis control areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key shipping routes linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, giving the group the ability to threaten vital maritime traffic.

Makkah Defence Pact

The recent Houthi attacks came at a time when Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye had just formalised their longstanding strategic ties through the signing of the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement”, a trilateral security framework that its proponents describe as a defensive arrangement aimed at strengthening collective deterrence, enhancing military cooperation and promoting regional stability.

The agreement, signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, has prompted comparisons with military alliances such as NATO. However, according to security analysts, the pact is intended to formalise decades of existing strategic cooperation rather than create a new military bloc or offensive alliance.