By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan formally asked Saudi Arabia to shift oil supplies to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, hunting for a secure workaround after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz left its main import route blocked.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik delivered the request directly to Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Wednesday, according to a statement from the petroleum division. The ambassador responded with assurances of full Saudi support.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards officials said that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and Iran will fire on any ship trying to pass. This is Iran’s most explicit warning since telling ships it was closing the export route on Saturday, a move that threatens to choke a fifth of global oil flows and send crude prices sharply higher.
The Strait is the world’s most vital oil export route, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The closure was triggered by a US and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, seeking to topple its leaders, with US President Donald Trump offering Iranians help in ousting the ruling clerics. In response, Iran fired several barrages of missiles at its Gulf neighbours hosting US military bases such as Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Tehran also fired missiles at the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
With this closure, Tehran made good on years of threats to block the narrow waterway in retaliation for any attack on the Islamic Republic. About 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
Malik briefed the envoy on the rapidly evolving situation and its potential fallout for global energy markets. He noted that the vast majority of Pakistan’s crude and product imports transit the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and that authorities are tracking developments on a daily basis.
“Pakistan’s government is actively working to ensure continuity of the energy supply chain for its people,” the minister told the ambassador, adding that support from “brotherly countries” such as Saudi Arabia is especially valued in difficult times.
Saudi officials have confirmed to Pakistan that volumes routed through Yanbu on the Red Sea would be protected, and one vessel has already been lined up to sail from Pakistan to load crude at Yanbu. The minister expressed hope that future shipments from the port would be prioritized for Pakistan and thanked the kingdom for the help it is already providing. .
The ambassador responded that the kingdom is “fully aware of the evolving situation” and will stand with Pakistan to meet any emergency needs. “Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are brotherly countries and will continue to stand together, especially in these testing times,” he said, according to the statement.
The diplomatic outreach comes as the government moves to shield its budget from the immediate price shock. On Monday, a newly formed 18-member cabinet committee convened to assess the Hormuz shutdown and concluded there is no immediate supply emergency. Saudi shipments of finished products can be redirected via the Red Sea, while imports from the United Arab Emirates through Fujairah lie outside the affected route, officials told the panel.
Even so, the committee noted that a prolonged closure could still disrupt Pakistan’s energy supply chain. Members agreed to keep passing higher global oil prices through to consumers via the existing fortnightly adjustment mechanism, avoiding an extra fiscal burden on the state. Clearer cost trends are expected once London trading resumes, the committee said. It will reconvene regularly to monitor the situation and review any necessary policy tweaks.
Pakistan’s crude imports averaged roughly 400,000 barrels a day last fiscal year, the bulk of it from the Middle East. Riyadh has long been a key supplier under deferred-payment and concessional terms, making the Yanbu alternative a logical short-term workaround while the Hormuz route remains blocked. The government continues to explore additional import corridors and is in contact with other Gulf producers, though no further arrangements were announced on Wednesday.
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