Dar discusses 'regional situation' with Saudi FM amid rising Gulf tensions

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, called Saudi Foreign Minister H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan @FaisalbinFarhan.

Both leaders exchanged views on the current regional situation and recent developments. The DPM/FM conveyed… pic.twitter.com/iBrqV64jK6

Dar conveyed Season’s Greetings and best wishes for the New Year to Prince Faisal, which were warmly reciprocated by the Saudi foreign minister.

According to the FO, the deputy prime minister expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation across various sectors.

Read: Saudi-led coalition targets Mukalla dock in Yemen over alleged STC arms delivery

Prince Faisal, in turn, reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing and deepening bilateral ties, underscoring the importance of continued engagement between the two countries. The conversation reflected the close and longstanding relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, as well as their shared interest in regional peace and stability.

The contact came as the region faces unprecedented tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following a Saudi strike in Yemen, which Riyadh said targeted a UAE-linked weapons shipment. The development marked the most significant escalation between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to date.

Once considered twin pillars of regional security, the two Gulf states have seen their interests diverge on a range of issues, including oil quotas and geopolitical influence.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that its national security was a red line and backed a call for UAE forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours. The warning represented Riyadh’s strongest language yet against Abu Dhabi, as the coalition struck what it described as foreign military support to UAE-backed southern separatists. The head of Yemen’s Saudi-backed presidential council also set a deadline for Emirati forces to withdraw. 

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are both major players in the OPEC oil exporters’ group, and any disagreement between the two could complicate consensus on oil output decisions.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia calls national security a red line, urges UAE exit from Yemen

Meanwhile, Yemen’s presidential council head, Rashad al-Alimi, cancelled a defence pact with the UAE, Yemen’s state news agency reported, and accused Abu Dhabi of fuelling internal strife through its support to the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

“Unfortunately, it has been definitively confirmed that the United Arab Emirates pressured and directed the STC to undermine and rebel against the authority of the state through military escalation,” he said in a televised address.

The UAE had been part of the Saudi-led coalition battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen since 2015. Although it began drawing down its troops in 2019, it remained committed to the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government.

The STC later sought self-rule in southern Yemen and this month advanced in a surprise offensive against Saudi-supported government forces, breaking years of stalemate. The move brought the Gulf allies closer to confrontation and raised fears of a renewed civil war.

The STC claimed broad control of southern Yemen, including the strategically significant province of Hadramout. Saudi Arabia had warned the group against military advances in the area and called for a withdrawal, a demand the STC dismissed.

According to the coalition, limited airstrikes early on Tuesday followed the arrival of two vessels from the UAE port of Fujairah over the weekend without authorisation. After reaching Mukalla, the ships reportedly disabled their tracking systems and unloaded large quantities of weapons and combat vehicles to support the STC.

Saudi state media released a video showing a ship identified as Greenland, which it said had transported weapons and combat vehicles from the Emirati port of Fujairah.