Pakistan: Houthi Attacks Threaten Regional Security, Freedom of Navigation and Global Commerce
September Net
Pakistan has warned that Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandeb threaten regional security, undermine freedom of navigation, and jeopardize the uninterrupted flow of global commerce, stressing that the safety and security of international maritime shipping and the protection of seafarers must be respected in accordance with international law.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on Yemen, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, including the August 11 attack on the commercial vessel Tihamah, which killed three Pakistani crew members and one Indonesian crew member and injured seven others.
He stressed that such attacks pose a serious threat to regional stability and international maritime security, calling for full respect for international law and the safety and security of commercial shipping and seafarers.
Ahmad also strongly condemned Houthi missile and drone attacks and threats against Saudi Arabia, describing them as provocative actions that pose a grave threat to regional peace and stability. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said Pakistan was deeply concerned by recent developments in Yemen and warned that the country faces a serious risk of sliding back into widespread conflict, potentially reversing the fragile calm that had prevailed since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022.
Pakistan also expressed concern over recent Houthi attacks and reported civilian casualties in Al Hudaydah, Ma’rib, Hadramout, and elsewhere, warning that further escalation would inflict greater suffering on the Yemeni people and narrow the space for diplomacy.
Ahmad reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the continued arbitrary detention by the Houthis of UN, humanitarian, and diplomatic personnel, calling for their immediate and unconditional release.
He stressed that Yemen’s acute humanitarian needs must remain a priority for the Security Council, warning that renewed fighting, economic disruption, and food insecurity would further aggravate the humanitarian situation.
The Pakistani envoy called for de-escalation and the resumption of a credible political process, welcoming the efforts of UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to engage Yemeni parties, regional actors, and international partners.
He urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, halt actions that could trigger further military escalation, and engage in good-faith negotiations under UN auspices.
Ahmad reaffirmed that a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, facilitated by the United Nations and grounded in full respect for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, remains the only viable path toward a comprehensive and sustainable settlement.