Pakistan has deployed warships to escort its commercial vessels through the Middle East as the conflict
By Bernie,
Pakistan has deployed warships to escort its commercial vessels through the Middle East as the conflict threatens to choke the country's energy supplies, the Pakistani military confirmed. Two vessels from Pakistan's national shipping company are already under navy escort, with the military saying the operation is aimed at countering "multidimensional threats" to national shipping and maritime trade.
The deployment underscores the conflict's widening economic impact. Pakistan has less than two weeks of crude oil reserves remaining and enough liquefied natural gas to last only until the end of March, according to the oil ministry. The country imports most of its energy from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, all transported by sea through waters now disrupted by the conflict.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced sweeping emergency austerity measures on Monday, including closing schools for two weeks, cutting the workweek to four days for the next two months, ordering 50% of public and private sector staff to work from home, and shutting government offices one day per week. Fuel prices were raised approximately 20% last week, triggering long lines at gas stations across the country.
India is also considering deploying warships after requests from Indian shipowners for naval escorts. Both President Trump and French President Macron have floated the possibility of international naval escorts for commercial vessels as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil transits, continues to disrupt global energy markets.
Topics: Strait of Hormuz, Israeli Politics
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