Islamabad, July 18, 2026: Pakistan has conveyed to Iran that any Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia would be regarded as an attack on Pakistan itself, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing Pakistani officials, as Islamabad expressed growing concern over the recent escalation in regional tensions.
According to the report, a Pakistani official said the country’s top civilian and military leadership had communicated to Iran “at the highest level” that attacks on Saudi Arabia would be considered attacks on Pakistan.
“Our top civil and military leaders have conveyed to Iran at the highest level that the attacks on Saudi Arabia are attacks on Pakistan. It is our red line,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The report said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defence agreement last year under which both countries pledged to treat aggression against either state as an attack on both.
The development follows this week’s missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia after the group accused the kingdom of carrying out air strikes on an airport under its control. The exchange of fire marked the first major breach of a four-year truce, although the escalation has so far remained limited.
Reuters reported that Pakistani troops are currently deployed near the Saudi-Yemen border, increasing Islamabad’s direct exposure to any further escalation.
Officials and analysts also expressed concern that a widening conflict could disrupt shipping through the Red Sea, a critical trade route for Pakistan and many other countries.
According to the report, Pakistan was not expecting tensions to escalate so rapidly, while security analysts said the government continues to pursue diplomatic engagement with all parties despite mounting regional instability.
Pakistan’s defence partnership with Saudi Arabia, announced last year, was viewed by analysts as reflecting growing security cooperation between the two countries amid changing geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East.
The report noted that Pakistan remains heavily dependent on Gulf countries for energy imports, and recent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have already disrupted supply routes, prompting the government to introduce emergency measures to manage fuel supplies.
Analysts quoted by Reuters said Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the United States and Iran have been driven not only by diplomatic considerations but also by the need to safeguard regional stability and restore critical trade and energy routes.
While officials stressed that Islamabad remains committed to diplomatic efforts, one source told Reuters that Pakistan would honour its commitments to Saudi Arabia if the situation deteriorates further.
