Tehran: Iran has welcomed the new mutual defence agreement signed between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, calling it a potential step toward enhancing stability in the Middle East.
The agreement, signed in Riyadh last week during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit, commits the two nations to treat an attack on one as an attack on both.
In a statement, Iran foreign ministry said the pact “could contribute to security and stability in the region” and emphasized the importance of respecting “the sovereign interests of neighbouring states.”
Pakistan has described the deal as a purely defensive measure. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif explained, “This is not aimed at any country. It is a defensive arrangement, an umbrella offered to one another, similar in spirit to NATO.”
The agreement has stirred debate over whether it implicitly extends Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence to Saudi Arabia. Pakistani officials, however, dismissed such speculation, insisting nuclear weapons were “not on the radar” of the pact.
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India, which has close economic and strategic ties with Saudi Arabia, reacted cautiously. New Delhi said it expects Riyadh to keep “mutual interests and sensitivities in mind” while implementing the pact.
Analysts note that the deal could alter the region’s balance of power. While Iran welcomed the move publicly, experts believe Tehran will closely monitor its evolution given historic rivalries.
The agreement marks a deepening of defence ties at a time when both nations seek greater security guarantees independent of traditional Western partners.