Pakistan issued a firm warning Thursday that any assault on its commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea would be considered an attack on the nation itself, following claims by Yemen’s Houthi movement that it struck two Saudi oil tankers.
At the Foreign Office’s regular weekly press briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi delivered the stark message after the Houthis announced they had carried out missile and drone attacks against the Saudi oil tankers Ancelia and Laila in the Red Sea.
“If Pakistani commercial vessels are attacked, Pakistan will regard it as an attack on its national security, and we will respond with full force,” Andrabi stated.
He left no room for ambiguity, adding: “There is no fine line when it comes to defending national security. This is our red line.”
Media reports indicate the Houthis characterized Thursday’s strikes as part of a self-described naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia.
The warning carries added weight given a major defense agreement Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in Riyadh in September 2025. Under that pact, an attack on either nation by an outside party is considered an attack on both countries. The deal also calls for expanded strategic cooperation, including the stationing of Pakistani military personnel inside Saudi Arabia.
Andrabi reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to honoring the agreement, saying the country would continue to carry out all bilateral arrangements with Saudi Arabia, including those covering defense cooperation.
On a separate matter raised during the same briefing, the Foreign Office declined to confirm or deny reports of a 10-day ceasefire between Iran and the United States, stating that any diplomatic communications on the subject remain confidential.
