Rooma News; Houthi Push Into Red Sea Strait Shuts Saudi Pipeline, Sends Fuel Prices Higher

 Islamabad, Pakistan

Saturday, September 12, 2026

Rooma News

Reporting & Edited by Rooma Mehmood

Final Edition

World

Houthi Push Into Red Sea Strait Shuts Saudi Pipeline, Sends Fuel Prices Higher

Drone strikes traced to Iraqi soil follow the seizure of islands overlooking one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, as US diesel prices top six dollars a gallon

By Rooma Mehmood

Houthi forces in Yemen have seized strategic islands and positions along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, taking high ground over one of the world's busiest shipping corridors, officials and shipping trackers said this week.

The advance prompted Saudi Arabia to shut down its East-West oil pipeline following a wave of drone attacks, several of which investigators traced back to Iraqi territory. The strikes have sharpened fears that the widening conflict in the Gulf and Red Sea could disrupt the flow of oil and gas to global markets.

The fallout has already reached filling stations far from the region. Average diesel prices in the United States climbed past six dollars a gallon this week, a rise analysts link directly to the mounting sense of insecurity around the strait, through which a large share of the world's seaborne trade passes.

World

North Korea Fires Missiles Toward Sea of Japan

North Korea launched a series of short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the Sea of Japan, regional monitors reported, describing the launches as a response to joint military drills recently completed by the United States, South Korea and Japan.

World

BRICS Leaders Meet in New Delhi as Rift Over Iran Surfaces

Leaders of the BRICS group gathered in New Delhi for a summit already marked by visible disagreement over the conflict involving Iran and the regional tensions it has stirred. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin were among the heads of government in attendance.

World in Brief

Dublin: US President Donald Trump arrived for talks with Irish leaders, a visit that coincides with a golf tournament at a club he owns.

Washington: The United States observed the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Manila: A fire aboard a passenger ferry in the Philippines has killed at least 35 people.

Pakistan

JUI-F Agrees to Join PTI's Opposition Conference

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl has agreed to take part in a multi-party opposition conference organised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, after a PTI delegation met JUI-F leaders to discuss a joint approach to national issues. Further preparations are scheduled for mid-September.

KP Assembly Seeks Article 6 Action Against Maryam Nawaz

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed a resolution seeking action under Article 6 against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, criticising remarks she made about security threats from neighbouring provinces as damaging to national unity. Debate continues over her alleged private use of a government aircraft.

Sharif Caps Power Outages at Two Hours

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered that power outages be limited to a maximum of two hours, after shortfalls linked to disruptions in RLNG supplies.

Stocks Rally, but Inflation Keeps Climbing

The Pakistan Stock Exchange recovered sharply, with the KSE-100 index gaining more than 1,600 points to close above 170,000. Weekly inflation continued to rise, driven largely by higher onion and fuel prices. Officials said tax collection remains on target and urged provinces to lift their own revenue efforts.

Pakistan Names First Ambassador to Armenia

Pakistan's first ambassador to Armenia has presented credentials in Yerevan, opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

Monsoon Alert Issued for Punjab

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued alerts ahead of the season's final monsoon spell in Punjab, warning of possible urban flooding, as judicial officials call for a stronger district court system and security operations continue in parts of the country.

Editorial

Storms Abroad, Strain at Home

The events of 12 September underline how tightly the shocks arriving from abroad are linked to the challenges building at home. The Houthi advance in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline are not distant headlines; they threaten the flow of energy and trade that countries like Pakistan depend on daily, and higher global fuel prices will feed directly into the import bill and an inflation rate already climbing.

At home, the political temperature keeps rising. Opposition parties are exploring a common platform even as provincial assemblies trade sharp resolutions — exchanges that risk deepening inter-provincial mistrust at a moment when coordination on energy, revenue and disaster management matters most. The government's move to cap load-shedding and the stock market's modest recovery are welcome, but they are no substitute for deeper reform in the power sector, tax collection and agriculture.

External volatility and domestic friction feed each other: rising energy prices make economic management harder, and prolonged political confrontation pulls attention from the practical work of governing. What the moment calls for is steadier diplomacy abroad and a politics at home that puts problem-solving ahead of point-scoring — neither easy, but both necessary if the country is to navigate these storms with greater stability.

Rooma News

Islamabad, Pakistan

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