Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the critical importance of maintaining uninterrupted energy supplies and ensuring the safe and swift passage of ships, especially considering their impact on developing nations and global supply chains. These remarks were made during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The two officials agreed to sustain close cooperation and plan to meet in New York during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Dar highlighted that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only effective tools to secure peace and stability in the region.
This development occurred shortly after Pakistan urged Yemen’s Houthi rebels to immediately halt attacks on merchant vessels and seafarers in the Bab al-Mandab strait, condemning efforts to militarize this crucial waterway. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, stressed the importance of protecting freedom of navigation and the safety of commercial shipping during a United Nations Security Council Arria-Formula meeting.
Earlier this month, the Houthis launched a rapid offensive to seize control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, thereby gaining dominance over the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab strait. The group has imposed a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, targeting Saudi-affiliated shipping routes and sites within the kingdom.
In his UNSC address, Ambassador Ahmad warned that attacks on merchant vessels in the Bab al-Mandab and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz pose serious threats to global peace, stability, energy security, and food supply chains. He strongly condemned the Houthi militia’s attempts to weaponize the Bab al-Mandab by targeting innocent seafarers and commercial ships.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia, the ambassador stated that these hostile actions undermine maritime security and jeopardize the peace and development of regional countries. He cautioned that such provocations could have severe consequences for maritime safety and regional stability.
Regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Ambassador Ahmad expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over ongoing disruptions and attacks on commercial shipping, underscoring the urgent need for collective efforts to maintain security in these critical waterways.
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