Pakistan has issued a clear and strong warning that any attack on its empty oil tanker stranded near Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline in the Red Sea will be treated as an act of war. The statement comes as Islamabad faces fast-dwindling diesel reserves and carefully weighs its next moves for the vessel.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik told a private news channel that the tanker must be moved one way or another. Saudi authorities have asked the ship to remain on standby for now. The Saudi east-west pipeline, a key alternative route that helped the kingdom avoid the troubled Strait of Hormuz, was shut down last week after Houthi attacks and could stay closed for up to six weeks.
Pakistan is examining three main options for the stranded tanker. It can keep the vessel near the pipeline until operations restart, sail it home through Oman or the United Arab Emirates, or arrange crude oil supplies from Libya instead. Malik warned that if crude supplies are cut, the country will face an immediate diesel shortage. Pakistan currently holds diesel stocks only for this month and the next.
Houthi forces have launched near-daily attacks on Saudi Arabia for the past two weeks. They have also captured more territory in Yemen and tightened control over the Bab al-Mandab strait, another vital shipping route at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Despite the rising tension, ships flying the Pakistani flag have continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran conflict began in late February. Islamabad has played an important mediating role throughout that conflict.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif once again expressed Pakistan’s complete support for Saudi Arabia. He strongly condemned a recent drone attack on the holy city of Makkah. Pakistan has earlier stated that any attack on the kingdom could activate the trilateral Makkah Defence Alliance signed last month between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.
The situation leaves Pakistan in a difficult position. With limited fuel stocks and a key oil route disrupted, the government must decide quickly how to protect both its tanker and the country’s energy security while standing firmly with its close ally Saudi Arabia.
