Pakistan, Saudi discuss security measures after Iran strikes in Gulf

Pakistan said its army chief met Saudi Arabia’s defense minister to discuss joint measures and the security situation following Iranian drone and missile strikes on Gulf states.  

Field Marshal Asim Munir met Khalid bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the Pakistan military’s press wing on Saturday.

 

Tehran has maintained missile strikes on Gulf states in the now week-long war with the US and Israel, a seismic conflict that’s reverberated worldwide. Saudi Arabia said Saturday that it intercepted drones that were heading toward a major oil field, the latest energy asset to be targeted in a conflict that’s triggered a surge in crude and gas prices.  

 

 

The talks between Pakistan and Saudi focused on measures that can be taken to stop Iranian attacks under the framework of a strategic mutual defense agreement signed last year. Munir and Khalid agreed that “unprovoked aggression undermines regional stability and foreclose options for a peaceful settlement of disputes,” according to the statement.

 

At least two dozen people were killed in protests outside several US consulates across Pakistan last Sunday, as demonstrations erupted after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in coordinated attacks by the US and Israel. Pakistan’s Shiite Muslims make up 10% to 15% of the population — a large minority in the Sunni-dominated country. The South Asian nation is home to the third-largest Shiite community after Iran and Iraq. 

 

Last year, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan elevated their long-standing security partnership by signing a mutual defense pact, stating that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”