ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has issued a stern warning that any assault on an unmanned oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea close to Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline will be considered an “act of war,” as Islamabad contemplates its response amid rapidly depleting diesel reserves, Bloomberg reported.
In an interview with a private news channel, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik emphasized that the tanker must be relocated, regardless of the circumstances.
“We will find a way to move it,” Malik stated, noting that Saudi authorities have asked for the vessel to remain on standby for now.
The Saudi east-west pipeline, a vital route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz and facilitates the kingdom’s oil exports, was shut last week following attacks by Houthi militants. The pipeline may remain offline for up to six weeks.
Pakistan’s options for dealing with the stranded vessel include keeping it near the pipeline until operations restart, sailing it back through Oman or the UAE, or sourcing crude oil from Libya, Malik explained.
He also warned that if Pakistan’s crude supplies are interrupted, the country could face an imminent diesel shortage, as current stocks are only sufficient for the next month or two.
Houthi forces have intensified near-daily assaults on Saudi Arabia over the past two weeks, gaining control of additional territory in Yemen and tightening their grip on the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea—another strategic chokepoint for international shipping and energy supplies.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Pakistani-flagged ships have continued to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of US-Iran tensions in late February, with Islamabad playing a key mediating role throughout the crisis.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for Saudi Arabia and condemned a recent drone attack on Makkah, according to an official statement.
Pakistan has previously stated that any attack on the kingdom could activate the trilateral Makkah Defence Alliance, signed last month by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
