This is Pakistan’s most significant formal defense pact in decades, and the first such agreement that an Arab Gulf state has inked with a nuclear-armed partner.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hug after the signing of a historic defense pact during Sharif’s official visit to the Kingdom, Sep. 17, 2025.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a mutual defense agreement, under which any aggression against one state will be considered an attack on both.
“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” according to a statement issued by the Saudi Press Department.
“The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” the statement added.
The agreement is unprecedented for many reasons.
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