Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a formal mutual defense pact on Wednesday, significantly strengthening a decades-old security partnership amid heightened regional tensions, CNN reported.
The strengthened defense ties come at a time when Gulf Arab states are increasingly wary of the United States' reliability as their long-standing security guarantor. Israel's attack on Qatar last week has heightened those concerns.
„The agreement is the culmination of years of discussions. "This is not a response to specific countries or specific events, but an institutionalization of long-standing and deep cooperation between our two countries," a senior Saudi official told Reuters.
Israel's attempt to kill Hamas political leaders in airstrikes in Doha as they discussed a ceasefire proposal that Qatar is helping to broker has angered Arab countries.
The pact could change the strategic calculus in a complex region. Washington's Gulf allies are seeking to stabilize ties with both Iran and Israel to resolve long-standing security concerns.
But the war in Gaza has upended the region, and the Gulf state of Qatar has been directly attacked twice in as many months - once by Iran and once by Israel.
The Saudi deal comes months after Pakistan fought a brief military conflict with rival India in May.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on social media on Thursday that India was aware of the development, adding that it would study the implications for New Delhi's security and regional stability.
The senior Saudi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the need to balance relations with Pakistan's rival, nuclear-armed India. power.
“Our relationship with India is stronger than ever. We will continue to develop this relationship and strive to contribute to regional peace in any way we can.“
When asked whether Pakistan would be obligated to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella under the pact, the official said: “This is a comprehensive defense agreement that covers all military assets.“
Pakistani state television showed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, hugging after the agreement was signed. The Pakistani army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, considered the most powerful man in the country, was present.
“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of the two countries 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 side will be considered aggression against both,“ a statement from the Pakistani prime minister's office said.