Desk: Iran is continuously attacking countries in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Iran has also attacked Saudi Arabia, ignoring Pakistan’s appeal. On Tuesday, Iranian drones damaged the US Embassy in Riyadh. Following this, a warning of missile and drone attacks was also issued in the eastern city of Dhahran, where the oil company Saudi Aramco is headquartered.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Monday that he had advised his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, against attacking Saudi Arabia. In effect, Dar appealed to Araghchi. He warned Iran, citing a mutual defense agreement between Islamabad and Riyadh. Dar told Araghchi that the defense agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia provides that an attack on one country is considered an attack on both.
Dar said that in return, Tehran demanded assurances that Saudi soil would not be used to attack Iran. Following this, Iran launched a drone attack on the US embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, despite talks with Pakistan. A major oil refinery in Ras Tanura was also attacked by drones on Monday, raising concerns in global energy markets. Iran claims that the US is using Saudi Arabian soil, which is why the attack took place.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif by phone on Saturday. Sharif stated that Pakistan fully stands with Saudi Arabia. However, the Pakistani statement did not explicitly mention the defense agreement. Pakistan condemned the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the spread of conflict in the region, but refrained from directly blaming the US role or former President Donald Trump.
The Pakistan and Saudi governments have discussed a defense pact for the first time. “Any attack against either country will be considered an attack against both,” Dar said, but despite Pakistan’s two conflicts with Afghanistan since October, neither Islamabad nor Riyadh has yet invoked it. Dar’s statement marks the first public disclosure of the September defense agreement between Islamabad and Riyadh.
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