Pakistan’s CDF Munir meets Saudi defence minister amidst escalating regional tensions

Islamabad: Amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir travelled to Saudi Arabia and met Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to discuss the security situation.

Saudi Arabia has come under attacks by Iran, putting in cross hairs the mutual defence pact signed between Islamabad and Riyadh last year. The countries are bound by the agreement to come to the defence of each other in case of attack by a third country.

The defence pact faced its first test after the Afghan Taliban attacked Pakistan on February 26, and Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said it was “open war” between the two countries, while Iran reportedly launched drones and missiles against the kingdom following the joint strikes by the US and Israel.

Questions were being asked if Pakistan would stand up in the defence of Saudi Arabia if a formal war began with Iran.

Prince Khalid bin Salman in a statement posted on X early Saturday said his meeting with CDF Munir focused on ways to stop the attacks, which he said “do not serve the security and stability of the region”.

He added that there is hope that the Iranian side will prioritise wisdom and reason and refrain from "wrong calculations".

"We discussed the Iranian attacks on the kingdom within the framework of the joint strategic defence agreement between our two brotherly countries, and ways to stop these attacks, which do not serve the security and stability of the region, hoping that the Iranian side will prioritise wisdom and reason and refrain from wrong calculations," he said.

Pakistan has not so far commented on the visit of CDF Munir to Saudi Arabia.

The two sides have been in contact since the start of the war against Iran and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif contacted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had talked to his Saudi counterparts more than once.

Dar told the media during the week that he also contacted the Iranian foreign minister and urged him not to target Saudi Arabia.