Pakistan Vows to Defend Saudi Arabia as Houthi Attacks Intensify

ISLAMABAD, — September 18, 2026 — Pakistan has pledged to defend Saudi Arabia against aggression “to any extent,” with the country’s military reaffirming that its commitment to the kingdom extends both diplomatically and physically as Houthi attacks intensify. (Dawn)

Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan “fully stands” with Saudi Arabia and specifically emphasized the word “physically.” He said Islamabad would go to any extent required to protect Saudi Arabia and the two holy sites in Makkah and Madinah. (Dawn)

Chaudhry said Pakistani forces are already deployed in Saudi Arabia to help protect the kingdom and its holy sites. He did not specify whether Riyadh has requested additional Pakistani troops or direct Pakistani military involvement against the Houthis. (Al Jazeera)

The pledge comes as fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis has intensified. Houthi forces have launched missile and drone attacks toward Saudi territory, while Saudi forces have increased airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. Reuters reported that the two sides exchanged fresh strikes on Thursday as the conflict spread along the Red Sea coast. (Reuters)

Pakistan’s Foreign Office has described the situation around the Bab al-Mandab Strait as “exceptionally serious,” while stressing that Islamabad wants the conflict addressed through dialogue and diplomacy rather than further escalation. The strategic waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is important for international commercial shipping and energy supplies. (Dawn)

At the United Nations, Pakistan has also reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security while condemning Houthi attacks on merchant shipping and seafarers in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Islamabad has called for de-escalation, protection of ships and crews, and restoration of normal maritime passage. (Radio Pakistan)

The situation is significant for Pakistan because Islamabad and Riyadh signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025, under which aggression against either country is to be treated as aggression against both. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, alongside Türkiye, also signed a Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August 2026. (Dawn)

Pakistan’s latest position therefore combines a public commitment to Saudi security with calls for diplomacy and de-escalation. The widening fighting has already raised concerns over maritime security, commercial shipping and energy supplies across the Red Sea and surrounding waterways. (Dawn)