Illustrative image. (Telegram)
Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense pact, ramping up military cooperation with the kingdom, all while playing the lead role in mediating talks between the United States and Iran.
The deployment was first announced by Saudi Arabia last month, specifically on April 11 — three days after the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran came into effect.
At the time, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said that the deployment came “as part of the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed between the two brotherly countries.”
It added in a statement that the presence of Pakistani forces in the kingdom came with the purpose of “enhancing joint military coordination and raising the level of operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries,” but didn’t elaborate on the scale of the deployment.
Iran attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones on a near-daily basis right after the start of the American-Israeli war. Most attacks targeted Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts American troops and aircraft, but the kingdom also accused the Islamic Republic of hitting infrastructure, including energy facilities.
The new details on the Pakistani military deployment in Saudi Arabia came in a report published by Reuters on May 18. The report cited three security officials and two government sources, all of whom described it as a substantial, combat-capable force intended to support the kingdom’s military if it comes under further attack.
The full terms of the defense agreement, signed last year, are confidential, but both sides have said it requires Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to come to each other’s defense in the event of an attack. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has previously implied that it places the kingdom under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.
According to the sources, Pakistan has deployed a full squadron of around 16 aircraft, mostly JF-17 fighter jets. Meanwhile, two of the security officials revealed that Pakistan had also sent two squadrons of drones.
All five sources said that the deployment includes around 8,000 troops, with a pledge to send more if needed, as well as a Chinese HQ-9 long-range air defense system.
The report came just a day after Saudi Arabia reported that three drones were intercepted and destroyed after entering the Kingdom’s airspace from Iraq, where several armed factions allied to Iran are active. The incident highlighted growing tensions amid the ceasefire.
The forces sent by Pakistan to Saudi Arabia are very capable. However, it is clear that the deployment is purely defensive in nature.
While Islamabad seems committed to its defense pact with Saudi Arabia, its main focus remains on brokering lasting peace between the U.S. and Iran. Tehran does not likely view the Pakistani military deployment in the kingdom as a threat, but rather as an acceptable alternative to the American military deployment. Communications between the two countries continue on the highest of levels.
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they are occupying space and bases where the us used to be, so that the us cant come back.
easier to prevent the us from returning than asking the us to leave.
my comment below was meant for you but s-f didn’t permit it under your name…
kick out the american zionist scourge and it will be good! otherwise, it looks like the zionist entity is just adding pakistan to the roster of their minions.
good catch as this is exactly what is being done. just like this announcement “russian drone hits chinese ship in black sea, less than 24-hours before xi-putin summit” being the opposite of the truth, the tiny hats are going nuts to create alternative narratives as their financial house of cards continue their collapse -everywhere else!…
why don’t russia or china put iran under nuke umbrella