Pakistan has asked Saudi Arabia to ​route oil supplies through the Red Sea ‌port of Yanbu after the closure of ​the Strait of Hormuz disrupted ⁠shipping, the Petroleum Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday (March 4, 2026).

The request comes as war in ‌West Asia has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a ‌critical global chokepoint through which a large ‌share ⁠of the world’s oil and most ⁠of Pakistan’s fuel imports pass, raising concerns about supply security for import-dependent economies.

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” Saudi ​Arabian sources had assured ‌security of supplies through the Port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, which can help meet energy requirements,” read a release, ‌adding that one vessel has been ​arranged to sail to Yanbu to lift crude for Pakistan.

“Riyadh reaffirmed that ⁠it would support Pakistan in meeting its emergency energy needs,” it added. “Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz ‌Malik raised the issue in a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki,” according to a Ministry statement.

The Minister said most of Pakistan’s energy imports transit through the Strait of ‌Hormuz and the government was monitoring the situation ​closely to ensure the continuity of supplies.

Saudi Arabia has also been seeking ⁠to divert some crude exports to the Red ⁠Sea port of Yanbu to bypass Hormuz as shipping through the strait ‌slows due to the conflict, according to sources familiar with the matter.

President Donald Trump suggested Monday (March 2, 2026) that the United States would retaliate “soon” after its embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh was struck by two suspected Iranian drones.

Speaking to the NewsNation network, Mr. Trump said “you’ll find out soon” how the United States would respond, without providing further detail, after the U.S. embassy confirmed a drone attack that caused “a limited fire and minor material damage.”

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After the attack, the embassy issued a shelter in place notification for U.S. citizens in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran.