• FO condemns Houthi salvo that killed three Pakistani sailors
• Says attacks on commercial vessels threaten global supply chains
• Saudi-led maritime coalition aims to secure Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden
• Islamabad hopeful US-Iran ceasefire will be extended
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday said it was ready to play its part in the newly established Saudi-led maritime coalition to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb after a Houthi attack on a commercial vessel left three Pakistani nationals dead.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, speaking at the weekly media briefing, condemned the attack on the Egyptian-owned vessel Tihamah and said such incidents threatened maritime security and freedom of navigation.
“Pakistan strongly condemns this attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel,” he said.
According to information available to Pakistan, three Pakistani nationals were killed and another injured in the attack, he added.
“Such attacks endanger innocent lives, constitute a violation of international law, and pose a serious threat to freedom of navigation, maritime security and the safety of commercial shipping in the Red Sea,” Mr Andrabi said.
Tihamah was attacked on Tuesday while sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait off Yemen’s southern coast. The vessel, carrying food supplies, caught fire after being hit by three ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis. Three Pakistani crew members and an Indonesian national were killed.
The attack came after the Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi-linked shipping and threatened vessels using Saudi ports, raising concerns over the safety of commercial traffic through one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints.
Pakistan joined the Saudi-led Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance launched on July 30 following a meeting in Riyadh attended by military representatives from more than 40 countries. Fourteen countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, backed the initiative through a joint communiqué.
The alliance is intended to strengthen maritime security and protect freedom of navigation as well as commercial and energy supply routes through the Bab al-Mandeb, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia will host its permanent headquarters, joint command and maritime operations centres.
Mr Andrabi said Pakistan was prepared to contribute to the coalition’s efforts.
“Pakistan is a signatory to this coalition and abide by its communiqué,” he said. “We are ready and willing to assist Saudi Arabia and other coalition partners in the operationalisation of this communiqué to preserve the safety and security of the global supply chain, as well as maritime traffic.”
Hopes for US-Iran process Mr Andrabi expressed hope that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could be extended and the stalled diplomatic process revived, saying Islamabad remained in contact with the parties and regional countries.
“On your first question about the reasons for optimism: the reason for optimism is that, as a mediator and facilitator of talks, we remain optimistic that a solution can be in sight,” he said.
He pointed to sustained diplomatic activity by Islamabad, including three telephone conversations held by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the recent visit of the Kuwaiti foreign minister and an expected visit by his Bahraini counterpart.
“So, efforts for peace are ongoing,” he said. “We will continue our engagement with a fair degree of optimism that ought to be there in any credible facilitator and mediator.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi returned to Islamabad on Wednesday night after a visit to Iran aimed at reviving the stalled process. During the visit, he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, newly appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Gen Mohsen Rezaei and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.
The diplomatic efforts come as the ceasefire following the June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding approaches an Aug 17 deadline, while implementation of the agreement remains stalled due to disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz and other outstanding issues.
Pakistan and Qatar had agreed on a roadmap for technical-level talks following the signing of the MoU, but the process was suspended after renewed hostilities in July and a shift in diplomatic efforts towards Oman over arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Andrabi said Islamabad nevertheless hoped the ceasefire would be extended.
“We hope that even if the deadline is not implemented, an extension will eventually take place and the parties will revert to dialogue,” he said.
“The template for follow-up dialogue exists there in the Islamabad MoU and the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Statement.”
He acknowledged that “the larger peace process, the direct talks or the technical-level talks is stalled” but expressed hope that it would resume soon.
The spokesperson also defended the process followed by Pakistan in signing the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, saying all relevant internal procedures had been followed.
Asked whether all stakeholders had been consulted, Mr Andrabi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was both the signatory to the agreement and leader of the House.
“The PM is the signatory; he is the Leader of the House; he is the Leader of the National Assembly,” he said. “So, there is no question of not taking any stakeholders into consultation.”
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026
