The war between Iran, the US, and Israel is still ongoing. Iran has increased its aggression after the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran has been launching drone and missile attacks on various Israeli cities and has been targeting US assets in the Middle East.
Iran has targeted critical U.S. military, intelligence, and logistical assets in the region, focusing on airbases, air-defense systems, and communication infrastructure in countries like Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. Meanwhile, discussion of a defense agreement reached in the Arab world last year has gained relevance for its security implications.
The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, signed on September 17, 2025, has been revived amid recent attacks on American assets in Saudi Arabia and the threat posed by Iran. The agreement was signed at a time of heightened instability in the Middle East.
The Israeli attack on Qatar had heightened insecurity and pressured Saudi Arabia to diversify its defense partnerships and establish a nuclear-armed deterrent through Pakistan. The United States has strategic relations with most countries in the Middle East.
These relationships are primarily designed to ensure regional stability, counter Iranian influence, and secure energy flows, although many regional partners maintain “strategic autonomy.” The “formal security and defence coordination framework” was signed in Riyadh by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Based on developments up to March 2026, Iran has also made strong gestures toward Pakistan regarding its role in handling US peace proposals amid the ongoing regional conflict. In January 2024, Iran launched missiles into Pakistan targeting alleged militant hideouts, prompting Pakistan to retaliate.
The SMDA was widely discussed, and due to its core collective security clause, it has been dubbed a “Mini NATO” or “Arab NATO” that could bring massive change to the security landscape in the Middle East. As stated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the SMDA also contains a clause that states, “An attack against either party shall be considered an attack against both.”
However, the effectiveness of the SMDA could not be confirmed when Saudi Arabia was facing Iranian attacks and serious security threats. As Iran continued its attacks, Saudi Arabia could not obtain military or security aid, but only verbal assurances from the Pakistani Prime Minister and Field Marshal.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries had already been frustrated by Iran’s muscle-flexing in the region. Although mutual security has been envisioned in the SMDA, there is little possibility that Pakistan could plan any aggression against Iran.
Pakistan also has strong ties with Iran, and the two countries share a long border. Pakistan also has a significant and influential Shia population, with higher concentrations in the already restive Gilgit-Baltistan region.
In such a situation, any direct military action against Iran could risk angering the country’s Shia community. The public in Pakistan generally has a soft spot for Iran, viewing it as a country suffering from US and Israeli pressure.
The question arises: why did Saudi Arabia make this agreement with Pakistan? Does the level of attacks Saudi Arabia is currently facing from Iran suggest that the SMDA is no longer important or useful?
Iran’s expectations of preventing escalation in the war between Iran, the US, and Israel have increased. Accusations made by high-ranking officials in both the US and Iran, ongoing “deal” issues, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and control disputes have made the situation appear increasingly complex and unclear. This has raised doubts about how and by whom the war will end, and how reliable any resolution will be.
The notion that an effective peace mediator must be stable and credible is a recurring theme in international diplomacy and conflict resolution. Between January and March 2026, Pakistan has been confronting a severe security crisis, including what has been described as an “open war” with Afghanistan.
Amid this uncertain security environment in the Middle East, concerns over future security in Arab countries have intensified. Analyzing agreements like the SMDA, it appears that Middle Eastern countries may have reached a point where they can no longer rely on Pakistan as a provider of an “umbrella of strategic security.”
Amid this situation, there have also been reports that Pakistan has formally proposed hosting talks to end the war between Iran and the US.
Based on developments up to March 2026, Iran has also made strong gestures toward Pakistan regarding its role in handling US peace proposals amid the ongoing regional conflict. In January 2024, Iran launched missiles into Pakistan targeting alleged militant hideouts, prompting Pakistan to retaliate.
Relations between the two countries had already faced severe tension during that period. Iranian citizens have also strongly criticized their government for its weak response to Pakistan’s retaliatory actions.
The notion that an effective peace mediator must be stable and credible is a recurring theme in international diplomacy and conflict resolution. Between January and March 2026, Pakistan has been confronting a severe security crisis, including what has been described as an “open war” with Afghanistan.
In March 2026, more than four hundred people were reportedly killed or injured in a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul. Domestically, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) continues its insurgency for the secession of Balochistan province.
Last but not least, critics argue that a country like Pakistan, which is itself facing security turmoil and a degree of regional isolation, is seeking to avoid direct military engagement under the 2025 Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) with Riyadh.
(Views are personal and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Khabarhub)
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