{"id":31629,"date":"2025-09-18T09:36:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T06:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=31629"},"modified":"2025-09-18T09:51:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T06:51:57","slug":"saudi-arabia-signs-mutual-defense-pact-with-nuclear-armed-pakistan-after-israeli-attack-on-qatar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/saudi-arabia-signs-mutual-defense-pact-with-nuclear-armed-pakistan-after-israeli-attack-on-qatar\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabia signs mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan after Israeli attack on Qatar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

5 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a landmark mutual defense agreement that declares any aggression against one country will be treated as an attack on both, marking a major shift in Gulf security policy following Israel\u2019s strike on Qatar<\/mark><\/a>.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deal was signed in Riyadh on September 17, 2025, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the latter\u2019s state visit. Statements issued by both governments confirmed that the pact seeks to \u201cdevelop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agreement is the first formal collective defense arrangement by a Gulf Arab nation in response to Israel\u2019s widening military operations, which have stretched across Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, the Palestinian territories, and Qatar since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither Israel nor the United States immediately commented on the announcement. However, analysts see the pact as a clear message to Israel, widely regarded as the Middle East\u2019s only nuclear-armed state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A joint statement released by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that \u201cThis agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Saudi<\/a>
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17, 2025. (Image Credit: Saudi Press Agency)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThis agreement reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance security and achieve peace in the region and the world,\u201d the Saudi Press Agency said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Decades of Strategic Ties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have maintained close ties for decades, bound by religion, economics, and security cooperation. Pakistan has long stationed troops in the kingdom to safeguard the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, a deployment that dates to the 1960s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia military relationship deepened after Iran\u2019s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pakistan\u2019s development of nuclear weapons in response to India\u2019s program also intersected with Saudi strategic interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2007 U.S. diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks suggested Pakistani diplomats had openly discussed Saudi participation in nuclear cooperation, noting that Riyadh sought protection at a time when Egypt and other states lacked the financial resources to pursue nuclear programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Nuclear Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pact does not explicitly mention nuclear weapons, but it reignites speculation that Saudi Arabia could come under Pakistan\u2019s \u201cnuclear umbrella.\u201d Prince Mohammed previously stated that the kingdom would pursue nuclear weapons if Iran acquired them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pakistan\u2019s<\/a>
Pakistan\u2019s Fatah-I and Fatah-II guided multiple launch rocket systems. (Image Credit: Anadolu Agency)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Saudi Arabia has also sought U.S. assistance for a civilian nuclear power program, including uranium enrichment. While Washington had tied that ambition to a potential diplomatic recognition deal with Israel before the Hamas attack, the collapse of those talks has left Riyadh seeking other options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defense pact comes amid rapidly shifting alliances in the Middle East. Days before the signing, Iran dispatched Ali Larijani, secretary of the country\u2019s Supreme National Security Council, to Saudi Arabia, signaling that Riyadh may have quietly informed Tehran of its intentions. Saudi Arabia and Iran restored ties in 2023 through a China-brokered deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pact also follows a four-day flare-up between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan in May<\/mark><\/a>, which left at least 70 people dead. Saudi Arabia reportedly played a role in de-escalating the conflict, highlighting its growing involvement in South Asian security issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Economic and Social Links<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond defense, the Saudi-Pakistani partnership is reinforced by strong economic ties. Saudi Arabia is India\u2019s third-largest oil supplier, but it also relies heavily on Pakistan as a labor partner. More than 2.5 million Pakistanis currently live and work in the kingdom, sending back vital remittances that bolster Pakistan\u2019s fragile economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HRH the Crown Prince and #Pakistan<\/a> Prime Minister sign Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement.#SPAGOV<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Rh95MS5ZQS<\/a><\/p>\u2014 SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) September 17, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>