Whether to help Saudi Arabia or not, Pakistan is now torn.
On the 11th, Reuters reported that after the escalation of conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi forces, Pakistan is facing pressure to take sides.
This pressure stems naturally from the mutual defense treaty signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey—the "Mecca Agreement." Now that the Houthi forces have openly attacked Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities, the Mecca Agreement should theoretically be triggered. However, as of now, neither Pakistan nor Turkey has shown any intention to intervene in the Yemen situation.
Among them, Pakistan’s stance is particularly difficult. The reason lies in Pakistan’s heavy reliance on energy imports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea route—both of which Iran and the Houthi forces have publicly declared they can control. This gives Pakistan a solid reason to avoid alienating Tehran, even as it deepens its relations with Gulf states.
Regarding this, a Pakistani official also admitted to Reuters that Islamabad does not want to damage relations with Iran, thus choosing to remain low-key in the Saudi-Houthi conflict, calling on both sides to exercise restraint and resolve the dispute through diplomatic channels.
However, Pakistan’s “retreat” does not mean Iran can maintain a high posture in this round of maneuvering. Currently, Iran still needs Pakistan as an intermediary to facilitate communication and message transmission with the United States. Therefore, their mutual probing must stop short of breaking ties completely—because a total rupture would be bad for either side.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876029954530316/
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