Pakistan army chief asks Iran to press Houthis to halt attacks on Saudi energy sites: Sources
Asim Munir reportedly urges Tehran to “use its influence” on Yemeni group as Islamabad also seeks revival of stalled US-Iran negotiations
ISLAMABAD (MNTV) – Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has urged Iran to persuade Yemen’s Houthis to stop targeting Saudi energy and economic infrastructure, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
Munir made the request during a phone call Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was visiting China at the time.
Sources said Munir asked Tehran to “use its influence” on the Houthis as Pakistan steps up diplomatic efforts to prevent the widening regional conflict from escalating further.
“The army chief discussed the overall regional situation, with special focus on Houthis’ attacks and revival of stalled direct talks between the US and Iran,” a source familiar with the discussions said.
Iran has maintained that it does not control the Houthis. Tehran has described the Yemeni group as an independent actor pursuing its own interests.
The conversation came amid heightened tensions following Saudi Arabia’s interception of a drone it said was headed toward Mecca. The Houthis denied launching the drone.
Pakistan, meanwhile, reiterated Thursday that it remains committed to its bilateral defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and the trilateral Makkah defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan declined to provide details about how Pakistan could respond to attacks on Saudi Arabia, citing operational confidentiality.
He said Islamabad favored resolving the crisis through “dialogue and diplomacy and not through coercive measures,” while describing the situation around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait as “exceptionally serious.”
Push to revive US-Iran talks
Munir and Araghchi also discussed efforts to revive stalled direct negotiations between Iran and the United States, according to the sources.
Araghchi reportedly said Tehran was prepared to return to negotiations if Washington halted hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz and adhered to the Islamabad memorandum.
China is also pushing for a return to negotiations. During talks with Araghchi in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Iran and the US to exercise restraint, return to the Islamabad agreement and resume substantive consultations.
Pakistan has played a mediating role between Washington and Tehran during the conflict, maintaining contacts with both sides and hosting direct negotiations earlier this year.
The US and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June, but subsequent negotiations stalled amid disagreements over security guarantees and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
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