ISLAMABAD, MAR 4: Pakistan on Wednesday sought an alternative oil supply route through Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a development that threatens a major portion of global energy flows.

The request was made by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik to the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, during a meeting, according to a statement by the petroleum division.

The minister briefed the ambassador on the fast-evolving regional situation and its implications for international energy markets, noting that the bulk of Pakistan’s oil and energy supplies normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

He said the government is closely monitoring developments on a daily basis and making active efforts to ensure the continuity of the country’s energy supply chain, adding that support from brotherly countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, is critical for Pakistan in the current circumstances.

According to the minister, Saudi authorities have assured Pakistan that oil supplies can be facilitated through the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea to help meet the country’s energy needs.

He said Saudi Arabia is already extending practical support, and that one vessel has been assured dispatch from Pakistan to the port of Yanbu for lifting crude oil for Pakistan. The minister also expressed hope that oil supplies from Yanbu would be prioritised for Pakistan.

Malik thanked the Kingdom for its continued assistance and said Pakistan deeply valued Saudi Arabia’s cooperation during the ongoing crisis.

The Saudi ambassador, for his part, said the Kingdom was fully aware of the regional developments and reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia would stand firmly with Pakistan to meet any emergency energy requirements. He described Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as brotherly nations and said both would continue to support each other, particularly in testing times.

The move follows a stark warning from Iran after a senior official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards announced that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed and that any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway would be targeted following the United States-Israel attack.

Iranian state media quoted Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards’ commander-in-chief, as saying the strait was shut and that Revolutionary Guards and naval forces would attack any ship attempting transit.

This was Tehran’s most explicit warning after it indicated that it would close the key export route, a step that risks choking a significant share of global oil supplies and driving crude prices sharply higher.

The Strait of Hormuz is regarded as the world’s most vital oil export corridor, linking major Gulf producers — including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates — to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

By announcing the closure, Tehran acted on long-standing threats to block the narrow waterway in retaliation for any military action against the Islamic Republic.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which narrows to about 33 kilometres at its tightest point.