Shehbaz Sharif backs Saudi Arabia after Houthi missile attacks

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned recent Houthi attacks on Tuesday and restated Pakistan’s firm backing for Saudi Arabia’s security. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Sharif said Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the Kingdom during what he called a critical moment and reaffirmed unwavering support for its security.

The prime minister’s remarks followed a day after Saudi Arabia announced it had intercepted ballistic missiles fired from Yemen by the Houthi movement toward the kingdom’s southern region.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif strongly condemned what officials described as blatant attacks carried out against Saudi Arabia the previous night. The office said such actions violate the kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and risk further destabilizing peace across the region. It added that Pakistan will continue backing genuine efforts to promote peace, stability, security and mutual understanding throughout the Middle East.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a post that Ambassador Usman Jadoon condemned the Houthi ballistic missile strikes on Saudi Arabia. Jadoon expressed full solidarity with the kingdom and reaffirmed support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also stressed Pakistan’s continued commitment to Yemen’s own sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, framing the position within the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

The ambassador urged all parties involved to settle their differences through dialogue and diplomacy rather than confrontation, noting that the region already faces heightened tensions and several overlapping crises. He said a lasting and inclusive peace can only emerge through a political process led and owned by Yemenis themselves, facilitated by the United Nations and responsive to the concerns of all Yemeni communities. Jadoon pointed to an earlier prisoner exchange agreement between Yemeni parties as evidence that dialogue can produce real results even under difficult conditions, and he encouraged all sides to build on that progress toward a durable nationwide ceasefire and an inclusive political settlement.

Jadoon noted that years of conflict have left Yemen’s population dealing with displacement, economic hardship, food insecurity and the breakdown of basic services. He warned that any further escalation threatens to undo progress toward peace and deepen civilian suffering.

The ambassador also renewed Pakistan’s condemnation of the continued arbitrary detention of United Nations staff, humanitarian workers and diplomatic personnel, along with what he called the unlawful seizure of UN facilities and assets by Houthi forces. He said these actions run counter to international law and interfere with humanitarian operations, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel and full respect for the protections owed to UN staff and property.

Jadoon reaffirmed Pakistan’s ongoing commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and regional de-escalation, urging all parties to keep communication channels open, avoid steps that could raise tensions further and pursue peaceful solutions consistent with the UN Charter and international law. He closed by saying Pakistan will keep supporting sincere efforts to build peace, stability and mutual understanding across the region.

The diplomatic statements followed accusations a day earlier from the Houthi movement, which controls northern Yemen, that Saudi Arabia had launched airstrikes targeting the international airport in Sanaa. The group vowed to retaliate, straining a fragile truce that has held in the long running conflict between the kingdom and the Iran aligned movement. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree described the strikes as blatant aggression and said they had brought an end to a period of relative calm, warning that Saudi Arabia would face consequences and that the attack would not go without a response.

Yemen’s Saudi backed, internationally recognized government initially ordered the closure of all airports nationwide before reversing the decision hours later and reopening them. The government’s defense ministry said forces targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport specifically to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing there, and a military spokesman said the plane ultimately landed instead at Hodeidah airport, which remains under Houthi control. A separate government minister said Houthi authorities were also holding another aircraft belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross at Sanaa airport.

The exchange of accusations and strikes underscores how quickly the fragile calm between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement can unravel, with regional diplomats now watching closely to see whether the latest escalation derails broader efforts toward a nationwide ceasefire in Yemen.