NEW YORK, 19 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan has strongly condemned Houthi attacks on merchant shipping and seafarers in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, calling for their immediate cessation and stressing the need to protect freedom of navigation and the safety of commercial shipping. Speaking at a Security Council Arria Formula meeting titled “Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in an Evolving Security Environment,” organized by the Permanent Mission of Bahrain, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said attacks on merchant vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated that maritime crises could have far-reaching consequences for global peace, stability, energy security and food security. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Pakistan strongly condemned the Houthi militia’s attacks on merchant shipping and innocent seafarers navigating the Bab al-Mandab Strait. He underscored Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia, stating that such attacks seriously undermine maritime security and threaten peace and development in regional countries, while reaffirming Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity. Calling for an immediate halt to Houthi attacks, the ambassador warned that such provocative acts could have serious consequences for maritime security as well as regional peace and stability. Addressing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad expressed deep concern over disruptions and attacks targeting commercial shipping and called for immediate de-escalation of tensions, protection of ships and crew members, and restoration of normal passage through the strategic waterway. He noted that the Strait of Hormuz was a critical maritime trade route and that disruptions there could have significant implications for global energy and fertilizer supplies. The ambassador emphasized that, as a littoral state of the Indian Ocean and a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Pakistan attached paramount importance to maritime safety and security. He stressed that global shipping should not become a casualty of conflict and strife but should continue to serve as a driver of global trade and economic activity. Highlighting Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Pakistan had spearheaded efforts aimed at de-escalation and broader regional stability, culminating in a ceasefire and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to diplomatic engagement, saying Islamabad would continue efforts for a negotiated settlement of outstanding issues and an early return to normalcy at sea and on land. Pakistan, he added, would continue working with peace-loving countries in the region and beyond to promote maritime peace and security and ensure the safety of commercial shipping and merchant vessels.