ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has warned that any attack on an empty oil tanker stranded near Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline would be considered an “act of war” as Islamabad weighs options to move the vessel amid concerns over fuel supplies.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said the tanker would have to be moved despite the prevailing circumstances, while Saudi authorities have asked that it remain on standby for now.
“We will have to move it one way or another,” Malik said while speaking to a private television channel.
The tanker is currently stranded near the Red Sea end of Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, which has been shut following attacks. The pipeline is a key route for transporting Saudi crude to the Red Sea while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan is considering several options for the vessel, including keeping it near the pipeline until operations resume, sending it back through Oman or the United Arab Emirates, or arranging crude supplies from alternative sources, including Libya, according to the minister.
Malik said prolonged disruption to crude supplies could put pressure on Pakistan’s diesel stocks, making alternative arrangements necessary.
The East-West Pipeline, also known as Petroline, stretches about 1,200 kilometres and has been an important alternative route for Saudi oil exports. Its shutdown has disrupted crude loadings at Yanbu and added pressure to global oil markets.
Pakistan has already expressed strong opposition to attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure. The Foreign Office said drone strikes on the pipeline threatened regional peace and security and reaffirmed Islamabad’s support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security.
The developments come amid heightened tensions around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, key waterways for global energy and commercial shipping.
Pakistan has also been working with Saudi Arabia to maintain alternative energy supply routes as disruptions to regional shipping continue. The Petroleum Division had earlier said Islamabad was seeking supplies through Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu.
