It’s been 48 hours since 13,000 Pakistani troops landed at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran, on the Persian Gulf. The deployment is under the terms of the Saudi-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) signed last September. Both sides have committed to treat an attack on one as an attack on the other.
“These developments reflect the SMDA’s emphasis on bilateral deterrence and operational support amid heightened Gulf tensions, distinct from any hypothetical offensive contingency tied to the outcome of US-Iran talks or any military planning to force open the Strait of Hormuz,” Ausaf Sayeed, former ambassador to Riyadh told StratNewsGlobal.
He said there was an earlier deployment of Pakistani surface-to-air missile systems along with supporting equipment and personnel. Add to that IL-78 tanker aircraft and C130 tactical transport aircraft.
While Pakistan has had a long history of military involvement in the desert kingdom, there is a difference this time, says Mudassar Qamar, of Jawaharlal Nehru University’s West Asia school.
“The effectiveness of this acting as a deterence to Iran in the future has to be seen. Pakistan would prefer to not directly confront Iran military, which means at this point it might only be a defensive posture.
“But for Saudi Arabia, it is important given the defence pact with Pakistan and the ineffectiveness of US military presence in the kingdom as a deterrence,” he said.
Field Marshal Asim Munir was in the kingdom in March and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had vowed to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the Saudis.
Pakistan has tried to balance its position with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar indicating he had informed Iranian officials that Islamabad was bound by its commitments to Saudi Arabia. He also sought to assure that Saudi territory would not be used for attacks on Iran.
Despite that, Iranian strikes on Saudi targets, including key facilities and a US-linked site, have continued.
Islamabad-based analyst Imtiaz Gul said the deployment was not a military escalation but a way of communicating Pakistan’s commitments.
Michael Kugelman described it as “a bit of a risky gambit”, warning it could draw Pakistan closer into the Saudi-Iran rivalry if tensions escalate further.
Saudi Arabia remains a key economic partner for Pakistan, hosting around 2.5 million Pakistani workers and providing financial support, including a pledged $5 billion investment package.
For Israel, the development adds another layer of complexity, potentially increasing pressure on Iran while also bringing Saudi Arabia closer to Pakistan.
