WASHINGTON: Pakistan has condemned Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and called for an immediate end to what it described as provocative actions.
The demand came as the United Nations Security Council held its second discussion on the growing threats facing the strategically important maritime passage.
Addressing the Security Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, called on the Houthis to immediately halt such actions, warning that they could have serious consequences for maritime security, regional peace and stability.
The meeting was convened at Bahrain’s request, two days after the Security Council was briefed on the rapidly deteriorating situation around Bab al-Mandab.
The briefing said the Houthis had continued their advance along Yemen’s western coast and had reportedly taken control of several islands in the southern Red Sea.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council that the situation in and around the strait was becoming increasingly tense and unpredictable.
Asim Iftikhar said Houthi attacks were severely undermining maritime security and posed a threat to peace and development in countries across the region, particularly Saudi Arabia.
He described the Houthi actions against Saudi Arabia as “open and unprovoked aggression” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity.
He said Pakistan stood in full solidarity with the Saudi leadership, government and people.
The Pakistani envoy said disruptions to commercial shipping in both the Bab al-Mandab and Strait of Hormuz demonstrated that the consequences of maritime conflicts could extend far beyond the immediate areas affected.
He said disruptions to commercial shipping and attacks on vessels in both strategic waterways had highlighted how crises at sea could have serious consequences for countries and continents around the world.
The disruptions in these critical maritime routes, he added, had not only threatened peace and stability but had also contributed to a sharp rise in energy prices and increased concerns over global food insecurity.
Asim Iftikhar said the Strait of Hormuz was a vital maritime trade route through which approximately one-third of the world’s traded crude oil and a significant share of global fertilizer shipments passed.
He added that Pakistan remained deeply concerned about disruptions in the strait, including attacks on commercial vessels.