By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched 8,000 troops, a full squadron of fighter jets and a sophisticated Chinese air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense agreement, marking a significant escalation in military cooperation between the two longtime allies even as Pakistan has positioned itself as the primary mediator in the Iran war, Reuters reported on Monday.
The deployment, whose full scale is being reported for the first time, consists of a combat-capable force intended to bolster Saudi Arabia’s defenses should the kingdom come under additional attack, according to three security officials and two government sources familiar with the operation. All five sources described the contingent as far more substantial than a routine advisory mission.
Pakistan’s military and Foreign Office declined to comment, as did Saudi Arabia’s government media office. The defense pact, signed last year, remains secret in its full details. Both governments have stated publicly that it obligates them to come to each other’s aid in the event of an attack. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has previously hinted that the agreement effectively places Saudi Arabia under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.
According to the sources, Pakistan sent roughly 16 aircraft — most of them JF-17 fighter jets co-produced with China — in early April. Two of the security officials said the package also included two squadrons of drones. All five sources confirmed the arrival of approximately 8,000 troops, with a commitment to send more if needed, as well as a Chinese HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system. Pakistani personnel operate the equipment, which is financed by Saudi Arabia.
The troops and air force units deployed in connection with the Iran conflict are primarily performing advisory and training roles for now, two of the security officials said. They cited internal communications between the two governments and documents detailing the assets’ movement. The new contingent adds to thousands of Pakistani troops already stationed in the kingdom under earlier agreements, many of whom hold combat assignments, the three security officials said.
One government source who has read the text of the confidential pact said it envisions the possibility of deploying as many as 80,000 Pakistani troops to help secure Saudi borders alongside Saudi forces. The agreement also provides for the deployment of Pakistani warships, though it was not possible to determine whether any vessels have yet reached Saudi ports.
The scale and makeup of the force — combat aircraft, ground troops and advanced air defenses — signal a commitment well beyond symbolic support, the sources said. The deployment follows Iranian strikes on critical Saudi energy infrastructure that killed a Saudi national, an episode that raised fears of a broader regional escalation. Pakistan had already sent jets to the kingdom in response, as Reuters first reported, before assuming its current role as the war’s leading mediator.
Islamabad hosted the only direct round of peace talks between the United States and Iran conducted so far and had planned additional sessions that both sides later called off. A ceasefire between Washington and Tehran that Pakistan helped broker has held for the past six weeks. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, conducted several unpublicized retaliatory strikes inside Iran, Reuters later reported.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained deep military ties for decades. Pakistani officers have long trained Saudi forces and provided advisory support, while Riyadh has repeatedly extended financial lifelines to Islamabad during periods of economic strain.
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