Pakistan Faces Pressure to Pick a Side as Saudi Tensions with Houthis Escalate
Pakistan is weighing its mediator role as Gulf defence ties deepen and officials warn the Houthi threat could pull Islamabad into conflict.
- Fighting between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement and Saudi forces is testing Pakistan's dual role as Riyadh's defence partner and Washington's backchannel to Tehran, forcing Islamabad to recalibrate.
- This conflict represents the first major test of the mutual defence alliance signed last month between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, under which an attack on any one is regarded as an attack on all.
- Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Thursday to discuss "ways to restore diplomatic efforts to de-escalate on all fronts," following a Saudi warning delivered Wednesday.
- Bokhari warned that while "relaying and shaping messages is one thing," active intelligence support would tip Pakistan from stakeholder into combatant, with forces already stretched across multiple fronts.
- Farzana Shaikh of Chatham House questioned whether Pakistan has the diplomatic experience of Qatar or Oman, suggesting its elevated role owes more to the "personal bonhomie" between President Donald Trump and Munir.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Since the beginning of September 2026, the escalation has accelerated in Yemen with the Houthis, supported by Iran, who have considerably strengthened their grip on the facade of the Red Sea and are now threatening Saudi Arabia's interests. A long-standing rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh, which is now embarrassing Pakistan, a regional actor that has become a must. Islamabad seeks to spare both Iran and its Saudi strategic partner with whom he …
Can Pakistan Remain a Mediator as Saudi-Iran Tensions Escalate?
Pakistan is facing a difficult diplomatic test as escalating fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran backed Houthi forces in Yemen threatens to undermine Islamabad’s attempt to maintain close ties with Riyadh while preserving its role as a channel to Tehran. For much of the past year, Pakistan has positioned itself simultaneously as a defence partner […]
The Straits Times
Times of IndiaAs Saudi tensions with Iran-backed Houthis escalate, mediator Pakistan faces pressure to choose a side
ISLAMABAD/DUBAI, Sept 11 - For much of the past year, Pakistan has played a dual role as Riyadh's defence partner and Washington's backchannel to Tehran but this week's fighting between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement and Saudi forces is increasingly testing how long Islamabad can hold both positions at once. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Analysis-As Saudi tensions with Iran-backed Houthis escalate, mediator Pakistan faces pressure to choose a side
By Mubasher Bukhari, Parisa Hafezi, Asif Shahzad and Ariba ShahidISLAMABAD/DUBAI, Sept 11 (Reuters) - For much of the past year, Pakistan has played a dual role as Riyadh's defence partner and Washington's backchannel to Tehran but this week's fighting between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement and Saudi forces is increasingly testing how long Islamabad can hold both positions at once.
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