WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Yemen’s Houthi militia with “major military punishment” after they launched missile and drone strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea.
“The US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis themselves” should the militia launch further attacks, Trump said on his Truth Social network.
“A year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis, for their interference with commerce and trade, by shooting at ships,” Trump said. “Since that time, and during our conflict with Iran, they have acted very responsibly.”
“Unfortunately, now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night,” the US President said.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 23, 2026
Pakistan vows to defend Saudi security
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and pledged to work closely with the Kingdom and the international community to safeguard maritime trade through the Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region during a telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Sharif assured the Saudi Crown Prince that Pakistan would continue supporting efforts to preserve peace, security and regional stability while ensuring the uninterrupted flow of lawful maritime commerce through some of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Islamabad : 23 July, 2026.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this morning.
During their most cordial… pic.twitter.com/XlzeKKj4rg— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 23, 2026
“The Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, of the dastardly attacks carried out by the Houthi militia against Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea,” Prime Minister Sharif office said and added that such actions were totally unacceptable, constitute a clear violation of international law, threaten freedom of navigation and commercial shipping, and undermine regional peace, security, and stability.
Pakistan condemns Houthi militia attacks
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s complete solidarity with Saudi Arabia and stated that he, along with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the entire Pakistani nation, stands firmly and resolutely with the Saudi leadership and brotherly people of the Kingdom at this critical time.
PM Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kingdom’s security, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and prosperity.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Sharif strongly condemned the Houthi militia’s attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, describing them as “totally unacceptable.”
The Prime Minister assured the Saudi Crown Prince that Pakistan would continue to work very closely with the Kingdom, as well as with the international community, in support of peace, security, stability, and the uninterrupted flow of lawful maritime commerce in the Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz and the wider region.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appreciated Pakistan’s steadfast support and the close fraternal ties between the two countries.
Pakistan’s warning over maritime threats
The conversation followed Pakistan’s strong warning a day earlier that any hostile act targeting Pakistani-flagged ships or the country’s maritime interests would be treated as a serious threat to national security.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Foreign Office condemned continued Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, saying they jeopardise regional stability, freedom of navigation and the uninterrupted flow of global trade.
The Foreign Office also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, while stressing that Islamabad reserves the right, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, to take all necessary measures, including lawful self-defence, to protect its maritime assets and national interests if threatened.
Trump warns Iran
The US President’s warning to Houthis came one day after Trump said the US would destroy one bridge or power plant in Iran every time Tehran targets a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military carried out its 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iran. US Central Command said the operations are intended to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking while travelling in the Philippines for a regional summit, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hoped the Houthis would “de-escalate.”
“I think the Houthis, frankly, got snookered into this thing by the Iranians,” Rubio said. “They were smart to stay out of it, and they should stay out of it and they should stop. We’ll see what happens there. Obviously, it’s not a positive development.”
Rubio also struck a tougher tone toward Tehran than he had a day earlier, when he said the US remained open to diplomacy.
“The price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,” Rubio said, adding that Iran is “begging” for a deal but that Trump “doesn’t see a lot of utility in responding to their overtures at this point because, frankly, Iran is clearly not ready to make a deal.”
After Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would adopt an “eye for an eye” defence doctrine, Rubio responded: “The president’s policy is a head for an eye. They will pay a very heavy price for the things they’re doing.”
