Pakistan has warned that the attack on the stranded oil tanker would be an ‘act of war’.

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 considers options to move the vessel amid fuel supply concerns.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik said that despite the current situation, the tanker will have to be moved, while Saudi authorities have asked to keep it on standby for now.

“We will have to move it somehow,” Malik told a private television channel.

The tanker is currently stranded on the Red Sea side of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, which has been shut down since the attacks. The pipeline is an important route for transporting Saudi crude oil to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the minister, Pakistan is considering several options for the ship, including keeping it close to the pipeline until operations resume, sending it back via Oman or the UAE, or arranging crude supply from alternative sources, including Libya.

Malik said a prolonged disruption in crude supply could put pressure on Pakistan’s diesel stocks, necessitating alternative arrangements.

The East-West Pipeline, also known as the Petroline, stretches for about 1,200 km and has been an important alternative route for Saudi oil exports. Its shutdown has affected crude oil loading at Yanbu and put pressure on global oil markets.

Pakistan has already expressed strong opposition to attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure. The Foreign Office said drone attacks on the pipeline pose a threat to regional peace and security and reiterated Islamabad’s support for the sovereignty and security of Saudi Arabia.

The development comes amid heightened tensions around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, waterways critical to global energy and commercial shipping.

Pakistan is also working with Saudi Arabia to maintain alternative energy supply routes as regional shipping continues to be disrupted. The Petroleum Division had earlier said that Islamabad was looking for supplies through Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu.

The post Attack on the stranded oil tanker will be an ‘act of war’, Pakistan warns appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

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