Saudi's dilemma: Pakistan steps Back, US says no strikes on Houthis

Saudi Arabia faces a double blow as Houthis escalate attacks on its military and oil facilities. But Pakistan reportedly stepped back from its Mecca defence pact commitment against Houthis, while President Donald Trump declined direct US military help after Saudi's SOS. And Houthis seized Red Sea port of Mokha on Thursday, threatening Bab el-Mandeb Strait - the most serious escalation since 2022 UN truce. 
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif only condemned attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi Arabia and its oil infrastructure during a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said. Saudi Arabia asked Pakistan to carry out strikes, but Pakistan reportedly said there had been no discussions about a military response under the defense agreement. Sharif condemned what he described as Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure. He said the strikes could further disrupt the global economy and energy supplies. He stated that the recent Houthi actions threatened regional peace and security and could further disrupt the global economy and energy supplies,” the Pakistan PMO statement said.
Houthis attack on Saudi Arabia has put Pakistan in a dilemma.
The attacks have revived focus on a mutual-defence pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7, under which an attack on any of them would effectively be considered an attack on all three. But Pakistan is believed to have angered the signatories after Islamabad said last week the Makka pact did not automatically mean Pakistani military action against the Houthis. 
Sharif's call to the Saudi prince came a day after Riyadh temporarily shut its 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack launched from Iraq. The pipeline is a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports because it allows crude to reach the Red Sea without passing through the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been severely disrupted by the wider conflict involving the US and Iran since February.
Pakistani officials worry the Houthi threat is more likely to draw Islamabad into a war than Iranian missile strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure were earlier this year. Pakistani soldiers are deployed near the Saudi border with Yemen, increasing their direct exposure, according to a Reuters report. Defence deals with Gulf nations have been a key part of Pakistan's plans to boost its fledgling economy after years of crisis and have often been accompanied by parallel or subsequent talks about Gulf investments. However, Pakistan also relies on oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea -- routes that Iran and the Houthis have shown they can disrupt -- giving Islamabad reason to avoid alienating Tehran even as it deepens ties with the Gulf.  
Earlier,President Donald Trump has made the position plain. The United States will not step in to fight the Houthis on Saudi Arabia’s behalf. He told reporters that the Houthis themselves had contacted Washington and made clear they do not want a war with America. “They are allowing most ships to pass,” he said. The Houthis have not confirmed those contacts. The statement still landed like a door closing on Riyadh. As per report,  Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called twice. The first call briefed Trump on the collapse along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The second asked for American strikes. Trump refused both times.