Pakistan has urged Iran to restrain the Houthis after a major wave of attacks on Saudi territory, while Saudi Arabia has intensified military operations against the group in Yemen.
Pakistan Warns Iran Over Houthi Attacks
Pakistan has warned Iran over escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as Riyadh expands its military response against the Iran-aligned group in Yemen.
According to Reuters, Islamabad conveyed a Saudi message to Tehran urging Iran to restrain the Houthis and prevent the conflict from expanding into a broader regional confrontation. The warning comes after one of the largest Houthi attacks on Saudi territory since the wider U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began in February.
Takeaways
Pakistan has warned Iran over escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia while stressing that any Pakistani military role would focus on defending Saudi territory.
The Houthis attacked an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby Saudi cities on September 8. Reuters reported that the attacks wounded 73 people.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs separately condemned Houthi attacks against civilian and economic targets in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. Islamabad said the attacks violated Saudi sovereignty and reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial integrity.
Saudi Arabia Strikes Back in Yemen
The Houthi attacks have triggered an intensified Saudi military response.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi warplanes conducted 54 airstrikes across several Yemeni provinces during a 12-hour period. The figure is a claim from the Houthi side and has not been independently verified by TheDefenseWatch.
Saudi Arabia’s coalition spokesman, Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki, separately said Houthi forces continued attacks against Saudi infrastructure. Saudi authorities said the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones toward Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan on September 9.
The escalation is significant because the fighting is taking place alongside the wider confrontation involving Iran, the United States and regional states. Reuters reported that the renewed Saudi-Houthi conflict represents another potential threat to energy supplies at a time when shipping tensions in the Gulf are already affecting regional security.
Pakistan-Saudi Defense Pact Comes Under Pressure
The latest escalation also puts greater attention on the recently established defense relationship between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye established the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement framework, with a Strategic Political and Defence Committee created to strengthen cooperation among the three countries. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the first committee meeting was held in Istanbul on August 31 and focused on regional peace, stability, collective deterrence and cooperative security.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Pakistani television that an attack on one member would be considered aggression against all three and that unprovoked aggression or spillover into Saudi Arabia could make the agreement operational. Reuters reported the comments as part of Islamabad’s warning over the Houthi attacks.
That statement does not mean Pakistan has entered the Yemen conflict.
Reuters reported that Pakistani sources stressed any military role would be defensive and limited to Saudi territory. One source said Pakistani forces could provide military, technical, ground or air support inside Saudi Arabia but would not participate in combat operations on foreign soil.
A separate Pakistani source said no decision had been made for Pakistan to join Saudi retaliatory strikes.
Iran Rejects Control Over Houthis
The diplomatic message creates a difficult position for Tehran.
Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official confirmed Pakistan had conveyed the warning but said Iran does not control the Houthis.
At the same time, two Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran had instructed the Houthis to intensify attacks against Saudi Arabia and promised additional funding and weapons. The sources also alleged that several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders had traveled to Yemen to help coordinate the attacks. These allegations have not been independently verified and contrast with Iran’s stated position.
The competing claims are important because the extent of direct Iranian command and control over Houthi operations remains a politically sensitive issue.
The Houthis maintain their own military and political structures in Yemen, while Iran has long been accused by the United States, Saudi Arabia and other governments of providing support to the group.
Why the Saudi-Houthi Escalation Matters
The immediate concern is the possibility that attacks against Saudi territory could broaden the conflict beyond Yemen.
The Houthis have demonstrated an ability to threaten military facilities, energy infrastructure and shipping in the region. Their latest attacks targeted areas in southern Saudi Arabia, while the wider conflict has already placed pressure on major maritime routes.
The geography is particularly important.
Saudi Arabia borders Yemen along a long southern frontier, while the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb form critical maritime routes connecting the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
A prolonged escalation could therefore affect military operations, commercial shipping and energy infrastructure simultaneously.
Reuters reported that Saudi officials are expected to keep their military response focused on the Houthis rather than directly attacking Iran. That distinction could become important in preventing the Yemen conflict from developing into another direct Iran-Saudi confrontation.
Pakistan Seeks to Prevent Wider Conflict
Pakistan’s position reflects its competing security interests.
Islamabad maintains close strategic ties with Saudi Arabia while also sharing a border and important economic relationships with Iran. Its latest diplomatic intervention therefore appears aimed at containing the crisis while preserving its defense commitments to Riyadh.
Pakistan has also publicly backed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend its territory.
In its September 8 statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said it supported Saudi Arabia’s legitimate right under the UN Charter and international law to take necessary measures to defend its territory, citizens and national assets.
At the same time, Islamabad has emphasized diplomacy and regional stability.
This balance is likely to remain central as the Saudi-Houthi confrontation develops. Pakistan’s current position is not an announcement of military intervention in Yemen. Rather, Islamabad is signaling that attacks against Saudi territory could activate a broader defensive framework involving Pakistan and Türkiye.
What Happens Next
The immediate test will be whether the latest Saudi air campaign and diplomatic pressure from Pakistan can reduce Houthi attacks.
If attacks against Saudi territory continue, pressure could grow on Riyadh’s regional partners to provide additional defensive support. Pakistan has already indicated that its defense commitments could become operational if the conflict spills further into Saudi Arabia.
For now, however, there is no confirmed decision for Pakistani forces to conduct combat operations in Yemen.
The distinction matters. Pakistan’s publicly stated position remains focused on Saudi territorial defense, while Saudi Arabia is continuing its military campaign against the Houthis.
The crisis also comes at a sensitive moment for regional energy security. With separate U.S.-Iran tensions affecting Gulf shipping, another sustained front involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis could add further pressure to an already unstable security environment.
For Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, the immediate objective is therefore not simply responding to the latest Houthi attacks. It is preventing those attacks from triggering a much broader regional military confrontation.
