Pakistan, July 15 -- The latest Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia are more than another flare-up in Yemen's unresolved war. They test the de-escalation that has largely held since 2022 and the credibility of the security arrangements built around it. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was therefore right to condemn the attacks unequivocally and reaffirm Pakistan's support for Saudi sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.

That support now carries greater strategic meaning, especially in the light of Pakistan-Saudi Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (signed last September), which declares aggression against one is an aggression against both, and is intended to strengthen joint deterrence. The task before those at the helm of affai...