Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar addresses the UN Security Council in New York on February 18. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan aims to walk tightrope between Saudi Arabia and Iran as war flares

Iran’s nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan has invoked its mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks on the kingdom, in what analysts have described as a key test of Islamabad’s emerging role in the Middle East’s security architecture. A gently worded warning to the Islamic Republic, delivered by Ishaq Dar,…

Iran’s nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan has invoked its mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks on the kingdom, in what analysts have described as a key test of Islamabad’s emerging role in the Middle East’s security architecture.
A gently worded warning to the Islamic Republic, delivered by Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, has established Islamabad as a go-between to manage the escalation.

Briefing the Senate on Tuesday, Dar said he had asked Iran to “please keep in mind” Pakistan’s defence pact with Saudi Arabia.

“They asked for some assurances” that Saudi “soil should not be used” against Iran, and “I got them the assurances”, Dar said, noting Iran’s “minimal reaction” against Saudi Arabia compared with its intense attacks against the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

“I am grateful they [Tehran] were able to understand my point, and in accordance with that, we secured assurances for them,” Dar added.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar addresses the UN Security Council in New York on February 18. Photo: Reuters
Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar addresses the UN Security Council in New York on February 18. Photo: Reuters

The Middle East has been entangled in another major conflict following the start of air attacks initiated by Israel and the US against Iran on Saturday. Tehran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei died in one of the attacks. Iran has carried out retaliatory missile and drone hits in recent days against Israel and several Gulf states, primarily economic infrastructure for the latter.

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