Pakistan Pressures Iran to Curb Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Pakistan has stepped up pressure on Iran to curb Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, driven by concerns in Islamabad that further escalation could force it to side with Riyadh under mutual defense pacts, according to a report by the Financial Times.

According to the report, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has repeatedly asked Iranian officials to work towards halting Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and its energy infrastructure. Munir visited Tehran last month and met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials, alongside holding several phone calls with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the most recent on Thursday.

Pakistani officials made it clear in the talks that if Saudi Arabia invokes the mutual defense clause in the bilateral security agreement, Pakistan could be required to assist the kingdom. However, sources noted that Munir did not present an explicit threat to the Iranians.

A Pakistani official quoted in the report said that Iran claims the conflict is between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, but argued that the escalation also serves Iranian regional policies. Tehran, meanwhile, continues to maintain that the Houthi movement operates independently.

Concerns in Pakistan have mounted following a series of missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, attributed to the Houthis in Yemen and Shia militias in Iraq. The strikes targeted cities and energy infrastructure within the kingdom.

The Pakistani diplomatic outreach adds to growing regional pressure on Tehran regarding Houthi activities. Just yesterday, it was reported that Saudi Arabia approached China for assistance in reining in the group, prompting Beijing to relay a message to Iran on the matter. It now transpires that Pakistan is also engaging directly with the Iranian leadership in an attempt to halt further escalation.