ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday informed Parliament that Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement helped avert a potentially more serious Iranian offensive against Saudi Arabia during the ongoing regional tensions.
Addressing lawmakers, Dar said Islamabad maintained close contact with both Iran and Saudi Arabia at the height of the crisis, when the Gulf region witnessed waves of missile and drone attacks targeting United States military installations and allied facilities.
Despite the heightened tensions, he said the situation in Saudi Arabia remained “relatively stable,” attributing the development in part to Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts.
Dar also referred to the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025, saying the accord reflects the close security cooperation between the two countries.
“Everyone knows about that; it is a sovereign agreement and we are bound by it,” he said.
Diplomatic engagement
The deputy prime minister said Pakistan continues to maintain working relations with both Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have long been regional rivals competing for influence across the Middle East.
He added that during a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan conveyed its concerns to Iranian leadership and urged restraint while highlighting the implications of the bilateral defence pact between Islamabad and Riyadh.
According to Dar, the agreement provides a framework for cooperation in defence, intelligence sharing and broader security coordination, and states that aggression against one signatory would be treated as aggression against both.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional stability and diplomatic engagement aimed at preventing further escalation in the Middle East.