A formal defense agreement was established between Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan on Wednesday which strengthens their long-standing security relationship in the face of rising regional tensions.
The Gulf Arab states have deepened their defense relationship because they question the United States’ dependability in providing security guarantees. The recent Qatari attack by Israeli forces exacerbated these growing security concerns.
The Saudi official explained to Reuters that the agreement represents the final stage of multi-year talks. According to the Saudi official the pact represents a formal step of their longstanding friendship rather than a reaction to specific nations or recent events.
Arab countries were infuriated by Israel trying to assassinate the political leaders of Hamas under airstrikes over Doha while they were in the midst of discussions for a ceasefire proposal being mediated by Qatar.
The pact could change the strategic calculus in an already complicated region. The Gulf monarchies, allies of Washington, have striven to balance their relations with Iran and Israel to resolve concerns for a long time.
But all these changed with the war in Gaza, with Qatar, the Gulf state, being on the receiving end twice within a year, once by Iran and once by Israel.
The Saudi deal comes some months after Pakistan fought a brief military conflict with its rival India in May.
On Thursday, Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, posted on X that India is conscious of the development and that the implications for the security of New Delhi and regional stability would be studied.
The senior Saudi official, who wished to remain anonymous, recognised the need to balance relations with the rival of Pakistan, India, also being a nuclear state.
“Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to develop this relationship and try to contribute towards regional peace to whatever extent we can.”
When asked about Pakistan’s obligation under the agreement to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella, the official said, “It is a defensive agreement on all fronts that covers all military means.”
Leave a Reply