Pakistan Mediates US-Iran Deal and Strengthens Saudi Defense Pact
Pakistan facilitated a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran while reinforcing a mutual-defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced at the Global Security Forum in Doha that Pakistan led diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional conflict by maintaining communication between Iran and the United States. Naqvi credited Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir with establishing these channels, which included hosting negotiations in Islamabad in April and a 16-hour session in Switzerland involving Qatari leaders. These efforts culminated in the signing of an Islamabad memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran in June.
Simultaneously, Pakistan is strengthening its regional security ties through the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), a mutual-defense pact signed on August 7 with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Under the MJDA, an attack on one signatory is treated as an attack on all three. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met with Saudi Ambassador Dr. Rajeh Tami Albugamy in Rawalpindi on Monday to discuss strategic coordination and the progress of the agreement.
While officials describe the MJDA as a defensive measure, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warned that the alliance's collective deterrence could be activated if diplomatic efforts fail to resolve regional crises. Naqvi emphasized that the agreement is intended to strengthen security cooperation rather than promote military action.
