Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mohsarraf Zaidi, said Pakistan stands firmly with Saudi Arabia and will assist the kingdom whenever required.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Zaidi said it is unquestionable that Islamabad will come to Riyadh’s support “no matter what and no matter when”. His remarks reflect the close strategic relationship between the two countries.
The comments come amid growing instability in the region after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran earlier this year. Iran later responded by targeting US bases across the Gulf region with missiles and drones. Some of those attacks reportedly affected areas close to Saudi Arabia, raising security concerns across the Middle East.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed regret over strikes that impacted neighbouring countries. However, Tehran has also said it will continue targeting locations used to launch attacks against Iranian territory.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia strengthened their defence cooperation last year by signing the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement. Under this agreement, an attack on one country can be considered an act of aggression against both.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei after he assumed the responsibilities of Iran’s Supreme Leader following the martyrdom of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli strike. At the same time, Pakistan’s military leadership has been actively engaged with Saudi Arabia to discuss the evolving situation in the region.
Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir recently visited Saudi Arabia and met Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. The two sides discussed Iran’s attacks on the kingdom and reviewed cooperation under the joint strategic defence agreement. Meanwhile, Pakistan is also trying to reduce tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said Pakistan is in contact with Iran to help prevent further escalation and protect Gulf countries from potential attacks. He said the military leadership informed officials during a closed-door briefing that communication with Iran remains ongoing to resolve misunderstandings.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also shared that Iran had indicated it would avoid attacks on Saudi Arabia if Riyadh guaranteed that its territory would not be used for actions against Tehran.
Zaidi said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have always maintained a strong partnership. He explained that both countries operate on the principle of standing by each other during difficult times. He added that Pakistan’s priority is to ensure the conflict does not expand further and threaten stability and economic prosperity across the region.
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Zaidi also revealed that Saudi Arabia has made arrangements to help Pakistan maintain its supply of oil and diesel during the crisis. The conflict has already created concerns about global fuel shortages after Iran closed the key shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz. Due to this disruption, Pakistan has started importing crude oil through the Red Sea route.
Sources said a Pakistan National Shipping Corporation vessel has reached the Yanbu port in Saudi Arabia and will leave for Karachi carrying about 73,000 tonnes of crude oil. Another Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) vessel, Shalamar, has also loaded oil from Fujairah port and is currently heading towards Karachi.
Shipping sources said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has affected several vessels. Two PNSC ships are reportedly stranded near Karachi and at another charter port due to the ongoing disruption.
