Pakistan Cites 2025 Saudi Defense Pact as Postwar Clout Grows After 4-Day India Conflict
Updated
Updated · Arab News · May 18
Pakistan Cites 2025 Saudi Defense Pact as Postwar Clout Grows After 4-Day India Conflict
3 articles · Updated · Arab News · May 18
Pakistan’s UN ambassador said Islamabad’s September 2025 defense pact with Saudi Arabia shows the country’s rising diplomatic weight after its May 2025 clash with India.
The pact commits both states to treat aggression against one as aggression against both, and Ahmed cast it as proof Pakistan turned battlefield gains into a broader political and diplomatic win.
The remarks came at a Brooklyn event marking one year since the 4-day India-Pakistan fighting, which ended after Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire on May 10, 2025.
Ahmed said Pakistan still backs negotiations and peaceful coexistence but remains ready to defend its sovereignty, warning that threats from India persist.
He also pointed to Pakistan’s wider diplomatic ambitions, from its July UN Security Council role to efforts to mediate between the US and Iran after hosting direct talks in April.
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The 2025 Saudi-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement: Regional Realignment, Nuclear Ambiguity, and Implications for India and the Middle East
Overview
The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA), signed in September 2025, marks a major shift in regional power by deepening the defense partnership between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Triggered by the damaging India-Pakistan conflict and growing insecurity in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia moved to diversify its security ties beyond the United States. The SMDA builds on a history of Saudi support for Pakistan’s nuclear program, possibly linked to informal defense pledges. This pact not only strengthens collective defense but also introduces new uncertainties, as it signals a willingness to leverage Pakistan’s military—and potentially nuclear—capabilities, reshaping alliances and raising the stakes for regional stability.