WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Monday backed Saudi Arabia at an emergency UN Security Council briefing on Yemen, reaffirming Islamabad’s support for the kingdom’s security and territorial integrity and calling for all parties concerned to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy.

Yemen has been gripped by conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the beleaguered government the following year.

The UN Security Council briefing came after an attack by the Yemeni government on an international airport in Sanaa on Monday. The Yemeni government said it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in Sanaa after it failed to convince a Houthi delegation, which went to Tehran for assassinated Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral, to board a Yemen flag carrier’s flight instead.

Hours after the airport attack, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles fired at the country’s south by Houthis.

Monday’s flare-up was the biggest between the Yemeni government and the Houthis in years, with the latter blaming Saudi Arabia for threatening to unravel a UN-negotiated truce that has been holding since 2022.

Speaking at the UNSC briefing, Pakistan’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, strongly condemned the ballistic missile attacks against Saudi Arabia and expressed Islamabad’s solidarity with the kingdom.

“We express our full solidarity with the brotherly kingdom and reaffirm our steadfast support for its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Jadoon said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close defence and security ties for decades, and their cooperation has remained an important element of Islamabad’s regional diplomacy.

In September 2025, the two countries signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” in Riyadh, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.

Pakistan has also consistently called for dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes in the region, stressing that prolonged conflicts only deepen humanitarian crises and undermine regional stability.

Likewise, Pakistan’s statement at the Security Council was focused on three issues: support for Saudi Arabia’s security, respect for Yemen’s sovereignty, and the need for an inclusive political settlement to end the conflict in Yemen.

“We also reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Yemen, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law,” Ambassador Jadoon said.

Pakistan urged all parties concerned to avoid further escalation and pursue diplomatic solutions.

“At a time when the region continues to face heightened tensions and multiple interconnected crises, we call on the parties concerned to resolve differences through dialogue, diplomacy and a steadfast commitment to de-escalation,” he said.

Islamabad said lasting peace in Yemen could only emerge through a political process involving Yemenis and supported by the United Nations.

“A comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable peace can only be achieved through a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, facilitated by the UN, which addresses the legitimate aspirations and concerns of all Yemenis,” Jadoon stressed.

He also referred to the prisoner exchange agreement reached earlier this year as an example of how dialogue could produce results even in difficult circumstances, urging all parties to work towards a durable nationwide ceasefire and an inclusive political settlement.

The agreement between the Yemeni government and Houthis was reached in May, with both sides agreeing to exchange more than 1,600 prisoners.

At the UNSC, Pakistan also highlighted the humanitarian consequences of the prolonged conflict in Yemen, where years of fighting have caused widespread suffering among civilians.

“The Yemeni people have endured years of conflict, displacement, economic hardship, food insecurity and the collapse of essential services. Any further escalation risks undermining prospects for peace and deepening the suffering of civilians,” Ambassador Jadoon said.

Islamabad further condemned the detention of UN personnel, humanitarian workers and diplomatic staff by the Houthis, as well as the seizure of UN premises and assets.

“Pakistan reiterates its strong condemnation of the continued arbitrary detention of UN, humanitarian personnel and diplomatic staff, as well as the unlawful seizure of UN premises and assets by Houthis,” Ambassador Jadoon said.

Islamabad called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel and full respect for the privileges and immunities of UN personnel and facilities.

Concluding Pakistan’s statement, Ambassador Jadoon reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and regional de-escalation, urging all parties to maintain communication channels and avoid actions that could further increase tensions.

Additional input from Reuters