Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have brought Mideast conflict to 'dangerous juncture', Pakistan tells UN

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan said on Tuesday that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia had brought the conflict in the Middle East to a “dangerous juncture”, while the United States and China called for restraint and de-escalation in Yemen as renewed fighting and attacks on the kingdom threatened to further destabilise the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

“The Houthi military escalation inside Yemen, the continued Houthi attacks against the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the latest military developments along Yemen’s Red Sea coast have brought the conflict to an extremely dangerous juncture,” he said.

He added that the expansion of attacks in and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait represented a “serious escalation”.

“Pakistan condemns, in the strongest terms, all Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said, reaffirming Pakistan’s “unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity” of the kingdom.

He said that Pakistan “fully supports Saudi Arabia’s legitimate right”, consistent with the UN Charter and international law, “to take necessary measures to defend its territory, protect its citizens and safeguard its national assets against threats”.

Ahmad warned that continued violations of international law against commercial shipping posed a growing threat to freedom of navigation and international maritime commerce.

“Any attempt to threaten, obstruct, or weaponise the vital waterways will have consequences for international trade and commercial shipping, global supply chains, and energy security,” he said.

He said the relative calm painstakingly maintained in Yemen since 2022 had collapsed, warning that continued escalation risked reigniting a full-scale conflict and drawing Yemen deeper into the wider regional confrontation.

“This must be prevented,” he said, calling for diplomacy to match the gravity of the crisis.

“Diplomacy must assume urgency in proportion to the gravity of this situation,” Ahmad said, expressing Pakistan’s strong support for “the resumption of an inclusive, Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process under United Nations auspices”.

US, China call for restraint

China also called for restraint and a return to negotiations, while stressing that protecting shipping in the Red Sea was a shared international responsibility.

Chinese representative Sun Lei said protecting freedom of navigation required an end to armed conflict and a lasting peace. He urged all parties to exercise restraint and return to negotiations, while calling for a greater role for Gulf countries in mediation and a new security architecture for the Middle East.

The US demanded that the Houthis halt their advances, withdraw from seized territory and cease their attacks.

US representative Jennifer Locetta also called on Iran to end its support for the group, accusing Tehran of arming, funding and directing the Houthis.

“Freedom of navigation underpins the global economy, and the United States is working with our partners to protect it,” she said, adding that the council could not ignore Iran’s role in supporting the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia told the council that the Houthi escalation threatened Yemen, regional security, international trade and global supply chains.

Saudi representative Abdulaziz M Alwasil cited attacks on Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran that injured civilians, as well as renewed attacks on Sept 14 and continued targeting of commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

He said the Houthis and militias supporting them were pursuing a policy of “choking the straits”, holding the international community and global economy hostage.

“Protecting vital waterways is a collective responsibility requiring a firm Council response,” Alwasil said. Saudi Arabia remained committed to de-escalation and peace, he said, while reserving its right to defend its territory and citizens.

Yemen said the Houthi advance towards Bab al-Mandab had transformed the conflict into an increasingly serious regional and international security issue.

Yemeni representative Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi said his government was responding to Houthi advances along the western coast, with its forces reorganising to regain the initiative and prevent the Houthis from using the coast to threaten international shipping.

He said continued Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and energy infrastructure were part of a broader regional threat, while warning of links between instability around the Red Sea, terrorist groups and trafficking networks in the Horn of Africa.

Al-Saadi called on the council to enforce the arms embargo, disrupt weapons, financing and smuggling networks, support Yemen in restoring authority over its territory and coast, and respond urgently to growing humanitarian needs.

Liberia, speaking on behalf of the three African council members — the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Liberia — warned that further territorial changes along Yemen’s coast could increase tensions, threaten international navigation and undermine efforts towards a political settlement.

Its diplomat, Lewis Garseedah Brown II, said there was no military solution to the conflict and warned against Yemen becoming an arena for proxy warfare.

For Africa, he said, Red Sea security was particularly important because disrupted shipping and rising freight and insurance costs could translate into higher prices for imported grain, fuel and fertiliser.

Bahrain also condemned the Houthi escalation and attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying the renewed fighting had worsened Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and forced civilians to flee their homes.