Pakistan offers support for Saudi-led coalition to protect Red Sea shipping

Pakistan is ready to assist Saudi Arabia and other members of a maritime coalition established by Riyadh in efforts to safeguard shipping and global supply chains, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said on August 12.

The statement came after a Houthi attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea in which three Pakistani nationals were killed, and another was wounded.

Islamabad also reaffirmed its commitment to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the wider regional crisis. Pakistan said talks between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz could serve as a “catalyst” for a broader peace process.

Saudi Arabia earlier proposed forming a defence coalition to protect freedom of navigation and shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, key maritime trade routes running along the coasts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

At a July 30 meeting in Riyadh, Kuwait, Somalia, Qatar, Türkiye, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti were among the countries that endorsed the initiative and signed a joint declaration.

The coalition is tasked with strengthening maritime security and freedom of navigation, protecting sea lanes and strategically important straits, and safeguarding international trade and global supply chains.

The initiative is now moving toward its next stage. Military planners are due to meet on August 12 and 13 to complete the necessary formal procedures and prepare the coalition members for the signing of a joint declaration and charter.

By Tamilla Hasanova