Pakistan – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – In a strong Asim Iftikhar Ahmad UN speech, Pakistan asked Yemen’s Houthis to stop attacking merchant ships and seafarers in the Bab al-Mandab strait right away.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad is Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He spoke at an Arria-Formula meeting of the UN Security Council. He said freedom of navigation and the safety of commercial ships must be protected.
The warning comes at a tense time. Earlier this month, the Houthis launched a fast offensive to take over Yemen’s whole Red Sea coast. This gave the group control over the Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital sea route.
The group has also announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. It says it will target Saudi-linked ships in the Red Sea, along with sites inside the kingdom.
The ambassador said attacks on ships in the strait, and the trouble in the Strait of Hormuz, show how a sea crisis can hurt the whole world. He said the effects reach peace, stability, energy supplies and food security.
He used harsh words for the Houthis. Pakistan, he said, strongly condemns their evil plan to turn Bab al-Mandab into a weapon by hitting merchant ships and innocent sailors.
Peacekeeping needs both political backing and a political strategy. The Council must provide clear direction, sustained political support and adequate resources. Host-State consent must also translate into practical cooperation, including freedom of movement, access and support… pic.twitter.com/I03Gt9ZsUa
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) September 18, 2026
Pakistan also stood by Saudi Arabia. The envoy said the Houthi attacks badly damage maritime security and threaten the peace and growth of nearby countries.
He warned that such provocative acts could bring serious results for safety at sea and for peace in the region.
The ambassador then turned to the Strait of Hormuz. He said Pakistan is deeply worried about the attacks and disruption there. He asked for tensions to be cooled down at once, for ships and crews to be kept safe, and for normal passage to return.
Hormuz, he reminded the meeting, is a key trade route. Any block there hurts global supplies of energy and fertiliser.
Pakistan explained why it cares so much about this issue. It is a coastal state on the Indian Ocean. It is also a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. For these reasons, the envoy said, Pakistan gives top importance to safety and security at sea.
He put the country’s view in simple terms. Global shipping should not become a victim of war and conflict. It should stay a driver of trade and the world economy.
The ambassador also spoke about Pakistan’s peace work. After fighting began between Iran and the United States on February 28, Islamabad led efforts to calm the situation. Those efforts led to a ceasefire and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
Pakistan will keep using talks and diplomacy, he said. Its aim is a negotiated deal on all open issues, so that life can return to normal at sea and on land.
Islamabad will also keep working with countries in the region and beyond. The goal, he added, is to support peace at sea and keep merchant ships and their crews safe.
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