Pakistan signed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) with Saudi Arabia in September 2025, a pact that obliges both countries to defend one another against any external threat, treating an attack on either as an attack on both.
However, the outbreak of the Iran war, following strikes launched by Israel and the United States against Tehran more than a month ago, has put this agreement to the test, particularly as Saudi Arabia has come under Iranian attacks that have caused significant damage.
Although Iran has justified its strikes on Saudi Arabia and several Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, as targeting US-linked assets, all of these countries have condemned the attacks as violations of their sovereignty, with Riyadh among the most vocal.
In this context, questions are mounting over Pakistan’s commitment to the defense pact, especially given the absence of any direct military support for Saudi Arabia despite repeated attacks, prompting some research centers to question Islamabad’s reliability as a security partner.
According to a report by the Middle East Media Research Institute titled “Pakistan’s Reliability as a Security Partner Under Question,” there is a “clear sense of betrayal within the Saudi leadership toward Pakistan,” noting that Islamabad has provided no tangible military assistance despite its formal commitments.
The report adds that the gap between declared commitments and actual behavior highlights the limits of Pakistan’s credibility as a defense partner, particularly during times of regional crisis.
The institute also noted that Pakistan has deepened its political and strategic cooperation with Iran, a trend reflected in growing diplomatic engagement between the two countries in the months preceding the war, including the visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Islamabad and the signing of multiple cooperation agreements.
Rather than taking a firm stance in support of its Gulf ally, the report says Pakistan has continued to send positive political signals toward Tehran, including praise for its regional positions and reaffirmation of support for its nuclear program, further complicating its position between the two sides.
It further points out that during the ongoing war, Pakistan expressed support for Iran through gestures such as offering condolences for killed Iranian figures and publicly congratulating Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, even as Saudi Arabia and other Arab states condemned Iranian actions.
Afghan Front and Iranian Border: Pakistan’s Justifications to Saudi Arabia
According to several international reports, including the same institute, Pakistan finds itself caught between competing pressures. Honoring its defense commitments to Saudi Arabia could open multiple fronts, especially as it is already engaged in security challenges along its border with Afghanistan.
The same sources note that Pakistan shares a long border with Iran, meaning that any military involvement against Tehran in defense of Riyadh could expose it to retaliatory Iranian strikes, particularly given Tehran’s current strategy of targeting regional actors.
Some analysts suggest that these factors may have already been presented by Islamabad to Saudi Arabia as justification for not providing military assistance so far.
Pakistan has also attempted to position itself as a mediator to end the war, a move interpreted by many as an effort to reduce the pressure stemming from its binding defense commitments to Saudi Arabia. However, these mediation efforts have so far failed to yield results.
A Dual Position with Potential Consequences for Saudi Ties
Pakistan has expressed rejection of the attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and voiced support—through statements and social media posts by its prime minister—for Arab countries affected by Iranian strikes, yet it has notably refrained from directly naming Iran.
According to multiple international analyses, Pakistan appears to be attempting to preserve its relations with all parties, including Iran, by maintaining a position of neutrality. However, many observers believe this stance could carry negative consequences for its relationship with Saudi Arabia.
In this regard, an article by Albert B. Wolf for the Middle East Council on Global Affairs argues that Pakistan’s credibility is now at stake, particularly after public statements referencing the defense agreement raised expectations about its response in the event of an attack on Saudi Arabia.
The same source notes that Islamabad’s continued neutrality risks weakening its ties with Riyadh and undermining the credibility of the defense pact, an issue that could become more evident as the conflict evolves.
Domestic pressures are also a key factor, as segments of Pakistani society—particularly the Shia community—are closely monitoring developments, while protests have begun to emerge, increasing the sensitivity of any political or military decision.
Against this backdrop, the Pakistan–Saudi defense agreement is facing its first real test in a highly complex regional environment, where security interests intersect with political and economic considerations.
As the war continues and pressures mount on all sides, the key question remains whether Pakistan can maintain its delicate balance, or whether this crisis will expose the limits of its ability to uphold its defense commitments in an increasingly volatile region.
