The sharp widening of the Middle East crisis is best illustrated by a report from a reputable global news agency, Reuters, carried by this newspaper on its front page yesterday. According to the report, “Pakistan has delivered a Saudi warning to Iran to rein in its Yemeni Houthi allies after they stepped up attacks on the kingdom, in a coordinated effort to prevent the crisis from spiralling…. Pakistan’s warning to Iran carries significant weight because of its defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.”
Our defence minister Khawaja Asif, who is widely known for his unfiltered rhetoric and aggressive statements, seems to have fully explained his country’s approach to the conflict by stating that attacks spilling into the Saudi kingdom could trigger a joint security arrangement involving Riyadh, Ankara, and Islamabad.
It is now increasingly clear that the recent Saudi-Houthi escalation risks further expanding the conflict across the region and beyond, with Pakistan’s warning to Iran serving as a case in point. That the situation is getting out of hand is a fact. The region is moving towards a wider war at a dangerously fast pace, with catastrophic consequences for humanity. Therefore, the Middle East crisis needs to be resolved through diplomacy immediately, requiring both the US and Iran to first cease hostilities against each other.
Rahmat Khan Achakzai, Quetta
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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