Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia with “full force”, stressing that the kingdom’s defence is as important to Islamabad as protecting its own territory. He made the remarks in a televised interview while discussing regional diplomatic efforts involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Türkiye.
The talks took place amid tensions involving the Houthis. Asif said Pakistan’s relationship with Riyadh went well beyond formal agreements, and that Islamabad would extend its full support to the kingdom.
Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security
Asif said that Pakistan’s defence and Saudi Arabia’s defence carry equal weight for Islamabad. “Just as the defence of Pakistan is paramount, the defence of Saudi Arabia is equally paramount for us,” he said.
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Referring to attacks on Saudi targets, he said: “We will defend Saudi Arabia with full force.” He also pointed to repeated targeting of Riyadh airport and attempts to attack the Haramain Sharifain, describing such actions as “very unfortunate”.
Tehran meeting and the three-country agreement
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir joined senior officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Tehran. The four countries agreed to continue dialogue aimed at strengthening regional cooperation.
Asif said three countries had made a written commitment to respond jointly to any threat covered by their pact. “God willing, now that three countries are involved, by agreement also, we will defend each other’s territory against any foreign aggression,” he said.
Asif was responding to a question about whether the Tehran meeting was linked to Houthi attacks or to a wider conflict involving the United States and Israel. He said his assessment was that the initiative was more closely tied to developments concerning Saudi Arabia.
Cautious hopes for progress on regional tensions
On the United States, Asif said the possibility of American action was also likely discussed. “America, definitely, that would also have been discussed,” he said.
He said the presence of senior Saudi and Turkish officials in Tehran showed the importance of the engagement, and that the initiative had been made possible through efforts by the field marshal. Asif added that he believed some progress had been made and expressed hope that peace could be established through Iran’s efforts and the involvement of other countries.
He said he remained “slightly guarded” about the outcome and hoped greater clarity would follow statements from Iran and the other countries in the talks. He also said diplomatic initiatives led by Pakistan’s leadership were “yielding results”.
