Pakistan Rejects Reports on Warning to Iran Over Houthi Attacks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected a Reuters report claiming that Islamabad had warned Iran to rein in its Yemeni Houthi allies following attacks on Saudi Arabia.

In a press conference here on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan described the Reuters report as “unsubstantiated,” rejecting the report’s claim that Pakistan had conveyed a warning to Tehran over the Houthi attacks.

The spokesperson also clarified Pakistan’s position on the Makkah Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, saying the pact is a defensive alliance focused on security through deterrence.

“Expansion currently is not on the cards. First the bases have to be solidified and then eventually it will be open for expansion,” Khan said.

He added that Pakistan wanted to maintain friendly and prosperous relations with all its neighbours.

The Reuters report had cited Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian sources as claiming that Islamabad was seeking to prevent the conflict involving the Houthis from escalating into a wider regional crisis.

The report claimed that the Houthis had attacked an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby Saudi cities on Tuesday, reportedly wounding 73 people.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree later claimed that Saudi warplanes had carried out 54 airstrikes across several Yemeni provinces, warning that the attacks would not go unanswered.

The Reuters report also quoted Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif as saying that aggression against one member of the Makkah Defence Agreement could be considered aggression against all three members.

However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has now rejected the central claim that Islamabad had issued a warning to Iran regarding the Houthi attacks.

Pakistan has repeatedly sought to maintain balanced relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran while emphasizing diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the region.

The developments come amid growing regional tensions involving Iran, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, raising concerns about possible disruptions to shipping and energy supplies across the Gulf region.

A senior regional diplomat said Pakistan had conveyed the message to Iran over the past 24 hours, urging Tehran to use its influence to halt Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.

However, it said, two Iranian sources said Tehran had told the Houthis last week to carry out attacks on Saudi Arabia. Tehran promised additional funding and weapons, they said, while several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders had travelled to Yemen to help coordinate the attacks.