Pakistan Announces Readiness to Defend Saudi Arabia
In the context of Iran's missile and drone attacks on Gulf states, Pakistan announced its readiness to provide assistance to Saudi Arabia.
Bloomberg reported that a spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mushahid Zaidi, stated that Pakistan is ready to provide assistance to Saudi Arabia at any time.
He pointed out that Riyadh and Islamabad have traditionally followed the principle of mutual support.
Saudi Arabia, which has nuclear weapons and borders Iran, signed a defense agreement with Pakistan in September last year, further strengthening the long-term security partnership between the two countries. Now, against the backdrop of the Middle East crisis, this agreement faces its first test — Iran has been launching missile and drone attacks on Gulf states for a week straight as a response to U.S. and Israeli actions.
Over the weekend, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud. The two sides discussed joint measures to prevent Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia, marking the first practical test of their defense agreement.
In the context of the conflict, Riyadh also provided oil and diesel supplies to Islamabad, which are crucial for Pakistan's economy, which relies heavily on imports.
Zaidi said that Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, maintains continuous contact with Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi. According to him, these and other negotiations have prompted Tehran to take more moderate steps toward Gulf states.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities reported that they had intercepted drones heading towards major oil fields. The ongoing conflict is pushing up global oil and gas prices.
Notably, the agreement signed between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan stipulates: "An attack on one party is considered an attack on both parties." Al-Ra'y analyzed that this may indicate the emergence of an "Islamic NATO."
Original: toutiao.com/article/7615929902671413796/
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