At UNSC, Pakistan Calls for De-escalation, Dialogue After Houthi Red Sea Island Seizures
UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2026) Amid rising violence in Yemen, Pakistan on Tuesday called for de-escalation and renewed dialogue during an emergency UN Security Council meeting—its second in less than a week—that followed the Houthi forces' capture of several Red Sea islands.
"The expansion of Houthi attacks in and around Bab al-Mandab, this vital maritime corridor, represents a serious escalation," Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council.
He warned that any attempt to threaten, obstruct, or weaponize the vital waterways will have consequences for international trade and commercial shipping, global supply chains, and energy security.
Yemen has been in crisis periodically since 2014 when Houthi militia seized Sanaa, the capital, setting off conflict with the internationally recognized Yemeni Government until the United Nations brokered a truce in 2022.
"The relative calm painstakingly maintained in Yemen since 2022 has unfortunately collapsed," Ambassador Asim Ahmad said. "Continued escalation risks reigniting a full-scale conflict and drawing Yemen deeper into the wider regional confrontation. This must be prevented."
At least 125,000 people have been displaced since the start of September. The escalation threatens a critical international maritime route and has spread beyond Yemen, with Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan has condemned all Houthi attacks against the kingdom, underscoring that they threaten regional peace and stability with serious consequences for the global economy and energy security.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad told the Security Council that Pakistan will continue its earnest efforts at the highest levels to help defuse tensions and advance peace and stability in the region.
Reaffirming its unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, and prosperity of Saudi Arabia, he said, "Pakistan fully supports the kingdom's legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend its territory, protect its citizens, and safeguard its national assets against any threat."
The Pakistani envoy said that the current developments exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, compounding the suffering of the Yemeni people, adding that diplomacy must assume urgency in proportion to the gravity of this situation.
"We strongly support the resumption of an inclusive, Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process under United Nations auspices," Ambassador Asim Ahmad said.
Pakistan will support all efforts