PM Shehbaz condemns Houthi attacks, reaffirms support for Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and security

Says such 'dastardly attacks' threaten innocent lives as well as regional peace and security

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday condemned in the “strongest terms” Houthi attacks targeting civilian and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, reaffirming Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty and security.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly attack by Houthis targeting civilian and energy facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which have left many people injured,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X.

The statement came after Houthis attacked the southern Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, injuring 73 people, according to Saudi authorities. Women and children were among those injured, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said. The attacks also triggered fires at some energy facilities, where operations were subsequently halted as firefighting and emergency teams worked to contain the blazes and assess the damage.

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan stood in unwavering solidarity with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia.

“Such dastardly attacks threaten innocent lives as well as regional peace and security. We reaffirm our steadfast support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and pray for the swift recovery of all those injured,” he added.

 

I condemn in the strongest terms, the cowardly attack by Houthis targeting civilian and energy facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which have left many people injured.

Pakistan stands in unwavering solidarity with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 8, 2026

Houthi attack on Saudi

The flare-up in violence between Saudi Arabia and the ⁠group came as tensions mounted between the United States and Iran as the wider Middle East ​conflict sent oil prices soaring with diplomatic negotiations stalling.

Brent crude futures rose $1 to $98/BBL after the Saudi energy ​ministry statement, while US crude futures rose over $2 to $93.65/BBL.

On Monday, the Financial Times newspaper said Aramco's Jazan oil facilities were hit in new strikes, and the damage was being assessed. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report, ​and Aramco has not commented.

The Houthi military spokesperson said the group would announce in the coming ​hours a broad operation deep into Saudi territory.

Read: Iran warns US ‘economic warfare’ could trigger Gulf maritime exclusion zone

The Saudi energy ministry said concerned authorities were dealing with the repercussions of the attacks.

"The ‌needed measures ⁠will be taken to ensure the safety of the facilities and workers and the continuation of work according to the approved operational plans," said the ministry.

Spokesperson Yahya Saree said that Riyadh had taken "escalatory steps" by conducting airstrikes on Yemen, and warned that Houthi strikes would not go unanswered.

The ​Saudi-led coalition did not ​announce any recent strikes ⁠on Yemen, but the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has in recent days mounted an offensive on multiple fronts against the Houthis in Yemen.

The coalition vowed to ​respond firmly to the latest outbreak of hostilities, saying the latest escalation against the ​de facto OPEC ⁠leader was "dangerous".

"The coalition will take all necessary operational measures to deter this terrorist militia and resolutely confront its hostile approach," Colonel Turki al-Malki said in a statement on X.

The Houthis, who control the most ⁠populous parts ​of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks ​towards Saudi Arabia since they declared a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting its vessels in the Red Sea.

Makkah Defence Pact 

The recent Houthi attacks came at a time when Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye had just formalised their longstanding strategic ties through the signing of the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement”, a trilateral security framework that its proponents describe as a defensive arrangement aimed at strengthening collective deterrence, enhancing military cooperation and promoting regional stability.

The agreement, signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, has prompted comparisons with military alliances such as NATO. However, according to security analysts, the pact is intended to formalise decades of existing strategic cooperation rather than create a new military bloc or offensive alliance.

A formal framework for existing ties

According to security analysts, the agreement represents the natural progression of longstanding political, military and strategic relations among the three countries.

They note that Pakistan's ties with Turkiye date back to the Khilafat Movement, while Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained decades of defence, political, economic and diplomatic cooperation based on what they describe as mutual trust and shared strategic interests.

Rather than establishing an entirely new partnership, analysts say the agreement provides a formal institutional framework for cooperation that has evolved over many years.

Security analysts argue that the agreement reflects a rapidly changing regional security environment.

They point to regional conflicts, evolving security threats, and changes in the character of modern warfare as factors driving closer strategic coordination among countries that share common security interests.

According to them, the trilateral framework is intended to preserve regional stability by strengthening collective security mechanisms instead of relying on ad hoc bilateral cooperation.

At its core, the agreement establishes a framework based on the principles of collective security and collective deterrence. Security analysts say its central premise is that aggression against one member would be regarded as a threat to all three, thereby increasing the potential cost of military action and discouraging conflict through credible deterrence.

The framework also envisages expanded defence cooperation, including closer military coordination, intelligence sharing, strategic consultations, defence planning and broader institutional cooperation between the three countries.

According to analysts, pooling military capabilities and strategic coordination is intended to improve preparedness while reducing the likelihood of regional conflict.