PAKISTAN WARNS IRAN TO REIN IN HOUTHIS AFTER SAUDI ATTACKS; TEHRAN SAYS IT DOES NOT CONTROL HOUTHIS: REPORT

Islamabad Seeks to Prevent Yemen Conflict From Escalating Into Wider Regional Crisis

 Pakistan has delivered a warning to Iran to rein in its Yemeni Houthi allies after the group intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, in a coordinated effort to prevent the crisis from spiralling, Reuters reported, citing Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian sources.

The Houthis struck an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby cities on Tuesday, wounding 73 people in one of the biggest attacks on Saudi Arabia since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in February.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Wednesday that Saudi warplanes had carried out 54 airstrikes across several Yemeni provinces over the previous 12 hours, adding that they would “not go unanswered and unpunished”.

The escalation has opened a second theatre of conflict threatening global energy supplies, as Iran and the United States wage their biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping in the Gulf region since their war began.

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Pakistan’s Defence Pact Raises Stakes

Pakistan’s warning carries particular weight because of its defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

Although officials in Islamabad have stressed that any military role would be limited to defending Saudi territory, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said attacks spilling into the kingdom could activate a joint security arrangement involving Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad.

“An aggression on one country will be considered an aggression on all three countries,” Asif said on Pakistani television.

“There is no ambiguity or doubt… Unprovoked aggression or spillover… into Saudi Arabia will definitely make this agreement operational.”

Pakistan’s defence ministry, foreign ministry and military did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The intervention, after years of balancing relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran, underscores the seriousness of the Houthi attacks. Sources said the message to Tehran was clear: rein in the Houthis or risk turning a proxy conflict into a broader regional security crisis.

PAKISTAN MAY LAUNCH AIRSTRIKES AGAINST HOUTHIS AT SAUDI REQUEST: REPORT

Iran Says It Does Not Control Houthis

A senior regional diplomat said Pakistan had conveyed the warning to Iran over the past 24 hours, urging Tehran to use its influence to halt Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

A senior Iranian official confirmed that Pakistan had delivered the message on Tuesday, saying Tehran’s response was that “Iran does not control the Houthis”.

However, two Iranian sources said Tehran had instructed the Houthis last week to attack Saudi Arabia. They said Iran had promised additional funding and weapons, while several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders had travelled to Yemen to help coordinate the attacks.

The regional diplomat said Islamabad was seeking to restrain the Houthis before the escalation reached a point where Riyadh could ask Pakistan to play a more active role in its defence.

“Pakistan has an agreement with Saudi Arabia, but I am hopeful the situation will not reach the point where Pakistan has to practically step in,” the diplomat told Reuters. “It will pursue a diplomatic solution for now.”

Riyadh Talks Focus on Defensive Response

A Pakistani source said Saudi officials had met senior Pakistani and Turkish military representatives in Riyadh to coordinate their response.

The three countries agreed that their troops would not enter Yemen and that any response would be launched from Saudi territory, the source added.

A second Pakistani source said no decision had been made to join retaliatory strikes, stressing that the military pact with Riyadh was defensive and limited to protecting Saudi territory.

Pakistani forces could provide military, technical, ground or air support within Saudi Arabia, but would not participate in combat operations on foreign soil, the source said.

Pressure Campaign Could Strengthen Regional Alliances

The regional diplomat said Iran’s pressure campaign, carried out alongside the Houthis, could produce the opposite of Tehran’s intended result.

By targeting Gulf security in an effort to pressure Washington over its blockade of Iranian ports, Tehran risks pushing Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Türkiye and other US-aligned states toward closer security coordination rather than fracturing their ties.