Pakistan vows support for Saudi Arabia as Iran-Gulf tensions widen

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formalised their long-standing security cooperation by signing a defence pact in September last year.

• Pakistan pledges support to Saudi Arabia amid Gulf tensions
• Army Chief Munir met Saudi officials on joint defense plans
• Saudi Arabia aids Pakistan's energy needs during the crisis

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Pakistan will support Saudi Arabia whenever required, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, as tensions mount in the Gulf following retaliatory strikes by Iran after attacks by the United States and Israel.

In an interview with Bloomberg, government spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi said Islamabad would stand by Riyadh if the situation demanded it. “No question we might, we will come to Saudi Arabia’s aid, no matter what and no matter when,” Zaidi said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formalised their long-standing security cooperation by signing a defence pact in September last year. The agreement is now facing its first major test as the Middle East conflict widens.

Zaidi said the relationship between the two countries had long been grounded in mutual support, even before the defence agreement was signed. “Both countries, even before the defence agreement, have always operated on the principle of being there for the other,” he said.

At the same time, he stressed that Pakistan’s focus remains on preventing the crisis from escalating further. “The real question is what Pakistan is doing to make sure things don’t come to a point where any of its closest partners are further embroiled in a conflict that could potentially undermine stability and prosperity in the region,” he added.

The comments come as Iran continues to launch missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf states during the week-long confrontation with the US and Israel, a conflict that has unsettled global markets and pushed up oil and gas prices.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones heading toward a major oil field over the weekend, highlighting the growing threat to energy infrastructure in the region.

Amid the tensions, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir travelled to Saudi Arabia over the weekend and met Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud. The two sides discussed joint steps to counter Iranian missile and drone strikes on the kingdom, a move seen as the first practical test of the defence pact.

Pakistan has also remained in contact with Tehran. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been holding “constant conversations” with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi since the conflict began, according to Zaidi.

He said those diplomatic engagements had helped encourage some conciliatory signals from Iran toward Gulf states.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has moved to support Pakistan’s energy needs during the crisis. The kingdom has arranged supplies of oil and diesel for the import-dependent country as rising global fuel prices put pressure on its economy.