Pakistan calls on Houthis to halt Red Sea attacks — Dawn
In the United States, Pakistan called on Yemen’s Houthis to immediately halt attacks on commercial vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said this at a UN Security Council meeting convened by Bahrain.
As Dawn reports, the Pakistani diplomat described the Houthis’ actions as provocative and capable of having grave consequences for maritime security, peace and stability in the region. He also said that the attacks undermine the security of navigation and threaten the peace and development of countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia.
Discussion at the UN Security Council
The meeting took place two days after a Security Council briefing on the deteriorating situation around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari said that the situation in the strait area is becoming increasingly unstable and called for the restoration of navigational rights and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law.
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Bahrain’s representative, Jamal Fares Al-Rowaiei, called the escalation by the Houthis a violation of the ceasefire and said that it had worsened the humanitarian crisis in Yemen due to the forced displacement of civilians. Saudi Arabia’s representative, Abdulaziz M. Al-Wasil, said that the escalation poses a threat to Yemen, regional security, international trade and global supply chains.
Concerns over sea routes
Ahmad also drew attention to disruptions to commercial shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz. According to him, instability at these maritime chokepoints has contributed to rising energy prices and heightened concerns about global food security. He called for immediate de-escalation, ensuring the safety of vessels and their crews, and restoring normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
China’s representative, Sun Lei, called on all parties to exercise restraint and return to negotiations, stressing that protecting navigation in the Red Sea is a shared international responsibility.
